ANKARA, TURKEY — Turkey has imposed a 130% import tariff on some grain imports, including wheat and corn, Reuters reported, citing a presidential decision published in the Official Gazette.

It comes as some EU countries announced bans on Ukraine grain imports, but traders said the move is mostly to protect the local agricultural sector ahead of May 14 elections. A tight race is expected between President Recep Erdogan’s AKP party and the opposition candidate Kemal Kiliçdaroglu, who is supported by several other political parties.

There was no import tax on wheat, barley, rye, oat, corn and sorghum until April 30.

Turkey had reduced import duties on grains and other agricultural goods after the pandemic in late 2020 and stopped them about a year ago, according to Reuters.