Greek importers in a tight spot

Europe and Greece entered into an agreement to tackle the Greek debt yesterday. National parliaments…

Europe and Greece entered into an agreement to tackle the Greek debt yesterday. National parliaments are still looking through the agreement. The situation is doing nothing for Greek importers. As long as the banks are shut, the situation remains difficult.

Importer Tzouris from Athens said to NBC News that it was impossible to import products due to the limits on payment traffic. "We can't import apples. We can't import anything at the moment."

Exporters who export fruits and vegetables to Greece and whose shipments are still on the way, warned Greek importers. Without payment the shipment will go to a different port. "It's a ticking bomb, a time bomb. We want to remain positive, we hope a solutions will be found soon and the transaction limits can be lifted."

There doesn't seem to be a shortage of products for Greek consumers yet. Last week there were reports and photos of Greeks in front of empty shelves in supermarkets. In a response to an article by The Economist a counter action was set up. Through social media Greeks were encouraged to take photos of the full market shelves: a shelfie.