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Russia's grain export to UAE may grow from 0.5 million tons to 2-3 million tons

DUBAI, February 21. /TASS/. Russia may build up export of grain to the United Arab Emirates from 0.5 million tons to 2-3 million tons, Deputy Minister of Agriculture Sergei Levin told TASS on Sunday.

"We may build up the export of grain; today the export is under 0.5 million tons, and we may raise it to 2-3 million tons," he said, adding that this volume take into account re-exports from the United Arab Emirates. Thus, Russian grain may further to other countries of the Middle East.

Apart from that, Russia is looking at expanding exports of meat [beef, chickens and turkeys] to the UAE, Levin said.

"As of today, meat exports are rather small but potential is big, bearing in mind that the UAE market is a transit hub for supplies to the entire Arab world with the potential clientele of up to two billion people," he said.

According to the Russian agriculture ministry, agricultural products account for about 20% of trade between Russia and the United Arab Emirates, with agricultural products accounting for 11% of Russia’s exports to the UAE and for 37% of imports from that country. Russia’s exports to the UAE are mostly cereals [80%]. Apart from that, Russia exports chocolate [4.8%] and tobaccos [four percent]. Russia’s imports from the United Arab Emirates are mostly tea [90%] and nuts [18.9%].

Russia is interested in expanding exports of meat and meat products to the United Arab Emirates. By now, the United Arab Emirates has issued permits for exports of animal products to nine Russian companies [seven of them are poultry producers, one deals with beef productions and one produces ready-to-eat meat products] and has attested two standardization and certification centers for halal products. The Russian agriculture ministry says however that the two countries have bigger trade potential [only 300 kilograms of beef and 500 kilograms of poultry were supplied in 2015].

The United Arab Emirates is a kind of transit hub used in trade with many countries of the Gulf and the Middle East. About 80% of products reaching this country are further re-exported. Russia wants to take advantage of it in its trade, the agriculture ministry said.

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