I. Hofmanas doubts that Lithuania could unilaterally impose restrictions on oil shipments from Belarus via Lithuania

Agriculture Minister Ignas Hofmanas doubts that Lithuania could unilaterally impose restrictions on oil imported from Belarus via Lithuania from oilseed rape grown in the occupied territories of Ukraine. Solutions should be sought at the level of the European Union (EU) as a whole, the Minister said.

„Food products cannot be sanctioned under international trade agreements. There is little Lithuania can do here, a common EU consensus is needed," Hofmann told reporters on Friday.

On Wednesday, „15min“'s Investigations Department announced that the state-owned „Lietuvos geležinkeliai“ group (LTG) freight company „LTG Cargo“ has stopped the transit through Lithuania of products of Belarusian producer „Agroprodukt“, which had been pressing rapeseed oil stolen from the Ukrainian-occupied territory, and has opened an internal investigation.

According to the data of „LTG Cargo“, almost 50 thousand tonnes of „Agroprodukt“ rapeseed oil have transited Lithuania in 2024. At the same time, according to leaked data from Belarusian railways, 47,000 tonnes of Belarusian rapeseed oil entered Lithuania in the last quarter of last year alone.

According to public sources, „Agroprodukt“ produces about 300,000 tonnes of oil per year, 80% of which is exported.