Egypt: Egyptian Court Bans Import of Russian Wheat with Trace Amounts of Ergot

On November 14, 2017, Egypt’s Administrative Court took the lawsuit filed against Prime Minister Sherif Ismail’s Prime Ministerial Decree No. 2992 (2016); the plaintiff seeks to revert the decree and reinstate the previous zero-tolerance level for the ergot fungi in imported Russia-origin wheat shipments. FAS Cairo understands that no other origins have been named to date. A preliminary ruling has been issued banning the import of Russia-origin wheat containing trace amounts of the ergot fungi. This preliminary ruling will not go into effect until a final decision is made by a higher court. The government is studying the ruling and is expected to appeal the decision. FAS Cairo does not anticipate any near-term disruption to wheat imports as a result of this preliminary court ruling. 

Egypt: Egyptian Court Bans Import of Russian Wheat with Trace Amounts of Ergot