Due to a trade dispute, Russia detains two Egyptian wheat ships

Russian authorities are detaining two Egyptian ships loaded with wheat that were intended for export. The ships are carrying shipments from Grainflower DMCC, which people familiar with the matter say is an export partner of the Russian trader TD Rif.

Egyptian Minister of Supply Ali Al-Moselhi told Bloomberg that the ships were prevented from sailing because they did not have the correct documents, and they are now detained in Russian ports.

Al-Moselhi added that the ships were scheduled to sail by the end of March, according to the January tender, and Egypt is awaiting a response from Russian embassy officials regarding this issue.

Last month, Reef’s owner said the company’s exports were banned and it faced pressure to sell its assets “at a low price.” Meanwhile, the agriculture regulator said it had halted some Rif exports due to “systematic discrepancies” in the safety and quality of grains.

Spokesmen for the Ministry of Agriculture and the Russian Authority did not immediately respond to email and phone requests for comment, nor did representatives for “Rif” and “Grainflower.” (Arabic)