Russia stops importing fruits, vegetables and meat from EU and USA

Russia has imposed a ban on import of agricultural products from countries of the European Union, United States, Australia, Canada, Japan and Norway effective for the next 12 months. The measure was developed in response to the sanctions imposed by the USA and the EU on Russian government of Vladimir Putin for his role in the conflict in Ukraine. Washington and Brussels accuse Russia of destabilizing the situation in the neighboring country supporting separatists in Lugansk and Donetsk. “There is nothing good in sanctions, and has not been an easy decision, but we had to do,” said Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev.

The EU, although for the moment rather not go into details, confirms that in 2013 together exported agricultural products worth 11.865 million euros and the right to “take action” against  Russian sanctions. “This listing has a clearly politically motivated. The European Commission will assess the measures in question as soon as I have more information on their full length and content, “said the EU executive.

Brussels notes that the measures “are directly related to the illegal annexation of Crimea and the destabilization of Ukraine” and recalled that the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) provides compensation mechanisms. But, according to a spokesman, “it is still not the time to enter the discussion on possible national or European compensation.”

Medvedev signed the document shows that the import of beef and pork is prohibited; meat and poultry products; fish and various types of mollusks; milk and milk products; vegetables and tubers; fruits and nuts of all kinds; sausages and similar products of meat, meat by-products, and food products prepared with them; products, including cheese.

The document does not specify whether these prohibitions will be applied strictly to all countries listed, or be selective. But the fact that Putin spoke of ” prohibition” or “limitation”, leaving room to the government to decide the details of the list indicates that there are chances that not all countries are affected or, at least, they will not be in equal measure.

Another newspaper with strong economic profile, Kommersant reported Thursday that Russia plans to also prohibit the importation of agricultural products from Ukraine, which could mean to the neighboring country more than 970 million daily loss. Russia is so far the largest importer of agricultural products from Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the publication of the newspaper Vedomosti on a possible ban on flying over Russian airspace using foreign airlines for routes to Asia are mere rumors and added that he is not in favor of causing problems to the passengers, ” the ordinary citizens who have nothing to do with what they do in Ukraine which started this war.” Brussels, meanwhile, also wanted to comment on the measure. “Not going to comment on something that has not yet been officially announced by Russia,” a spokesman for the Commission.

Russia is considering importing the banned dairy and food products from the Latin American countries.

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Posted by Shakira Subhani on Aug 8 2014. Filed under Business, World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.