President of Russia extends food embargo to 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended Russia's embargo on deliveries of certain food products from countries that have imposed or supported anti-Russian sanctions to 2022.

This follows from a Presidential Decree “On the Extension of Certain Special Economic Measures to Ensure the Russian Federation's Security”, published on the official online database for legal information. The document takes effect immediately.

Russia imposed the foodstuffs embargo via presidential decree dated August 6, 2014, against countries that had introduced or supported sanctions against Russia. The embargo initially applied to products from the United States, the European Union, Australia, Norway, and Canada. As of August 13, 2015, Albania, Montenegro, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, which had joined the sanctions against Russia, have been included in the list of these countries, as well as Ukraine as from January 1, 2016.

In December 2020, Russia extended the food embargo on the United Kingdom, which has quit the EU.

The ban was initially introduced for one year. It was extended in 2015 until August 5, 2016, and then again in June 2016 until the end of 2017, since when it has been renewed annually. Meat and meat products, milk and dairy products, fish and fish products, and vegetables and fruit were initially banned. Since October 2017, live pigs, with the exception of purebred breeding animals, as well as animal by-products and fat and animal oil have been prohibited from importation.

Since August 6, 2015, in accordance with the decree of the President of the Russian Federation "On certain special economic measures in order to ensure the security of the Russian Federation", as signed on July 29, 2015, products from sanctioned countries are subject to destruction.

Additionally, a procedure is being introduced by which the transit of products from sanctioned countries would be possible only when using Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) seals and registration coupons from drivers.

Official text of the President’s Decree Указ Президента Российской Федерации от 20.09.2021 № 534 ∙ Официальное опубликование правовых актов ∙ Официальный интернет-портал правовой информации (pravo.gov.ru)

Source: Interfax, publication.pravo.gov.ru