Russian Ban on Western Products to Continue Until At Least January 2016
24 Jun 2015 --- Following the announcement that the EU is to extend its sanctions on Russia in relation to the Ukraine crisis, Russia has announced that it will retaliate by extending its ban on Western imports, including fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, milk and dairy, for another six month period.
While many in Europe and the US have shown concern over the effect that such a ban has on their own economies, the European Commission is following market development for all the sectors affected by the Russian import ban on certain agricultural and food products (particularly meats, milk products and fruit and vegetables) and has found no adverse effects. It says that, in spite of the Russian ban, after nine months of embargo, total EU agri-food exports to third countries increased by 5% in value in the period August 2014-April 2015 compared to the same period of the previous year. In the month of April 2015, EU agri-food exports to third countries increased by 10% compared to April 2014. This record result, the highest exports value ever for the month of April, is due to an increase of exports to the US and China, and partially also due the weakening of the Euro against other currencies.
European Union foreign ministers extended economic sanctions against Russia until 31 January on Monday, keeping up pressure on Moscow to help resolve the Ukraine conflict.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, said: "Taking into account that the European Union has extended sanctions against the Russian Federation for half a year, I ask you to prepare my proposal to the president to extend the presidential degree (on the ban) for this period.”
Russia had been widely expected to prolong the ban beyond an 8 August deadline, as officials previously said the decision directly depended on the European sanctions extension.
Russia is the second most important destination for EU agri-food exports after the United States, representing in total a value of about € 11.8 billion in 2013, or roughly 10% of all EU agri-food exports, according to the Commission. The agri-food products covered by the Russian ban represent a value of € 5.1 billion in 2013 exports, it said in an information note, or 43% of EU agri-food exports to Russia.
