On 19 October, the Government announced a suspension of the import duty on soft wheat, currently at 135 percent, between 1 November and 31 December 2018. The import duty is expected to increase to 30 percent starting from January 2018. Import duties are periodically revised depending on the supply-demand situation in the country. They were increased in May to protect local producers following expectations of a bumper crop (FPMA Food Policies). The 2018 wheat crop, harvested in July, reached some 7.3 million tonnes, slightly above the previous year’s harvest and 22 percent above the five-year average (GIEWS Country Brief). Even in years with strong domestic production, the country heavily relies on wheat imports to cover its food consumption needs. Reduced duty aims to ensure regular supplies of good quality wheat from the international market and prevent price hikes. The European Union and the Black Sea region supply most of the common soft wheat.