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A sudden decision by Russia to ban the import of��Egyptian oranges into the country has left Egypt's exporters reeling.

Russia has stopped recent shipments of Egyptian oranges at��its ports��because��the fruits��bear traces of Imazalil, a fungicide��used to treat citrus fruits before they are shipped, an Egyptian official local media.

Over 400,000 tons of Egyptian oranges in 150 separate shipments are waiting at Russian ports,��Egyptian exporters told Mada Masr.

Still widely used, Imazalil is classified by the United States'�� as “likely to be carcinogenic in humans”.�� However, the EPA also say that “there is reasonable certainty that no harm… will result from aggregate exposure to Imazalil” in a dietary setting.��

A source within Egypt’s Horticultural Crop Development Association����������’s sister site��Al-Araby Al-Jadeed��that the oranges met all stipulations made in agreements between the two countries.

Agreements between the two countries stipulate��that any regulatory changes��must be announced two weeks before coming into effect, they said.

The source added that they suspected��oranges are being refused entry by Russia to clear the way for , in an attempt to ease current tensions between Ankara and Moscow.

The decision will have a significant impact on the Egyptian citrus��trade.

Egypt tops the world’s orange exporters list, with Russia, China and Saudi Arabia the��main destinations for its��crop of the citrus fruit.

Ali Issa, one of Egypt’s major exporters, said he and other traders were�� surprised��by the Russian decision.

He said Russia��had��not warned exporters��of any changes to rules on the use of Imazalil.

In an attempt to solve the dispute, Egyptian trade minister Nevine Gamea with Russia's Cairo��ambassador Georgi Borisenkothis week for “intensive talks” on the matter.

“Russia is one of Egypt’s top export markets, with exports amounting to $489 million in 2021, up 17.5% from $416 million a year earlier,” Gamea��said.