Decree in Russia: Putin extends food embargo against the EU

Dairy products, meat, fruit and vegetables: Russia has extended the embargo on food from the EU and other countries until the end of 2022. Products that come to Russia in a roundabout way are threatened with destruction.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued another decree extending the embargo against food from Germany and dozens of other countries by one year until December 31, 2022. It was a reaction to the anti-Russian sanctions of the EU and other countries, it said in the published decree.

Import ban first imposed in 2014

The import ban on dairy products, meat, fruit and vegetables from the EU, which was first imposed in August 2014, was a reaction to the punitive measures taken by the West against Russia in the wake of the conflict in Ukraine. According to the presidential decree, it is about protecting Russia’s national interests. Putin had repeatedly stated that the embargo also helped to improve self-sufficiency – in the dairy industry, for example – so as to be less dependent on imports.

In addition to the EU, the embargo also affects the USA, Australia, Canada and Ukraine. Despite the import ban, many products from the West come to Russia indirectly and via smuggling. Cheeses from France and Italy, for example, are in great demand. Russia has already had tons of food destroyed as a deterrent to black market trade.

Consumers complain about high prices

Russian consumers, however, complain about high prices and the sometimes inferior quality of local food. According to experts, the elimination of foreign competition leads to the formation of monopolies and the prices of Russian food to rise.