Israeli grain importer Zenziper has refused to accept a shipment of grain delivered by the Russian vessel PANORMITIS amid a dispute over its possible Ukrainian origin, The Marker reports. The shipment in question amounts to 26,000 tonnes.
The company said that “the Russian wheat supplier will have to look for another port for unloading”. As the publication notes, this is the first case in which a shipment of allegedly stolen grain has been rejected and not unloaded in Israel.
The vessel is currently anchored off the coast of Haifa, where around 20,000 tons of barley and 6,000 tons of wheat were due to be unloaded. Market participants estimate the cargo’s value at about $7 million.
According to The Marker, Zenziper’s decision to refuse unloading, rather than merely suspend it, was taken amid uncertainty over the position of the Israeli authorities. The decision of government agencies, including the foreign ministry, is expected to be decisive. The company assumes that the suppliers may file a lawsuit seeking compensation for the value of the cargo, and that the state’s position will carry significant weight in any potential court proceedings.
At the same time, grain importers themselves say they do not have the means to verify Ukraine’s claims about the origin of the products. They stress that it is effectively impossible to establish the source of wheat purchased in Russia, while its export is not subject to sanctions.