The top Polish agricultural official recently urged Prime Minister Janusz Piechocinski to pressure the European Union to challenge Russian agricultural sanctions at the World Trade Organization (here), but U.S. industry representatives and trade analysts say such a response is unlikely and may also jeopardize the credibility of the WTO as an apolitical institution. Russia authorized on Aug. 6 an import ban on a broad range of agricultural products from the U.S., EU, Canada, Australia and Norway, all countries that levied sanctions against Russia related to the destabilization of Ukraine since early 2014 (see 14081216).
Russia export controls and sanctions
The use of export controls and sanctions on Russia has surged since the country's invasion of Crimea in 2014, and especially its invasion of Ukraine in in February 2022. Similar export controls and sanctions have been imposed by U.S. allies, including the EU, U.K. and Japan. The following is a listing of recent articles in Export Compliance Daily on export controls and sanctions imposed on Russia:
The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices for Aug. 13 (note that some may also be given separate headlines).
The U.S. Department of Agriculture posted an unofficial translation of tariff headings affected by the Russian government’s ban on imports of agricultural products from the U.S., European Union, Canada, Australia and Norway. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an executive order on Aug. 6 to provide the authority to the Russian government to retaliate against Western sanctions through bans and restrictions on imports from those countries (see 14080713). Russia banned all cattle and pork meat, fish and other aquatic invertebrates, certain poultry and dairy products, vegetables and other crops, sausages and similar meat products and certain prepared products including cheeses and curd that are made with vegetable oils.
On Aug. 11 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
The government of Canada issued the following trade-related notices for Aug. 11 (Note that some may also be given separate headlines).
The International Trade Commission published notices in the Aug. 8 Federal Register on the following AD/CV injury, Section 337 patent, and other trade proceedings (any notices that warrant a more detailed summary will be in another ITT article):
On Aug. 7 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports:
The Russian and Iranian governments signed a trade and investment cooperation agreement, the Russian Ministry of Energy said on Aug. 5, according to an informal translation. The agreement targets expansion in machinery, equipment, consumer goods and agricultural trade, as well as energy and infrastructure, said the translation. Russian and Iranian officials will try to nail down specifics of the agreement’s implementation during a September summit in Tehran, Iran, the statement said, adding that the agreement will last five years.
Russian President Vladimir Putin issued an executive order on Aug. 6 that provides the Russian government the authority to ban and restrict certain “agricultural produce, raw materials and foodstuffs” imported from the U.S. and other nations that have recently imposed sanctions on Russia. The decree, put into effect for one year, does not specify exactly what products would be hit by the bans. Putin ordered the Russian government “to take measures to ensure balanced goods markets and prevent accelerating price rises for agricultural products and foodstuffs; to organize together with regional authorities timely monitoring of goods markets; and act together with associations of goods producers, retailers and organizations to take measures to increase supply of domestic goods." The U.S. and European Union levelled another round of sanctions on Russian entities on July 29, following a series of U.S. sanction packages in the past roughly six months (see 14073013). Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said during a televised cabinet meeting the executive order would target fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, milk and dairy imports, the Associated Press and other outlets reported (here).
On Aug. 4 the Foreign Agricultural Service posted the following GAIN reports: