Russia expands its anti-Western sanctions
Russia has banned the importation of live pigs and cattle by-products from the European Union, the United States, Canada and several other countries, as stated in a decree by the Russian government.
The ban will be valid until December 31, 2018 for the countries of the European Union, the USA, Canada, Australia, Norway, Ukraine, Albania, Montenegro, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
"The imposed restrictions on the import of goods will not affect the domestic needs of Russia," the resolution says.
Relations between Russia and the West worsened in 2014 due to the situation in eastern Ukraine and the violent annexation of the Crimea. At the end of July of the same year, the European Union and the United States moved from targeted sanctions against certain individuals and companies to measures against a number of sectors of the Russian economy, which have been subsequently expanded several times. In response, in August 2014, Russia imposed a food embargo on products from the United States, the EU, Australia, Norway and Canada. Albania, Montenegro, Iceland, and Liechtenstein were added to the sanctions list in August 2015; Ukraine, last year.
Imports of meat, milk, fish, vegetables and fruits to Russia from these countries are prohibited. Since November 2016, the embargo has spread to salt. Later, the ban on salt was lifted for the production of medicines and biologically active additives.
In June, Russian President Vladimir Putin extended sanctions against EU countries until December 31, 2018.