US tightens import ban on Russian salmon, pollock, cod and crabs
The United States has banned imports of salmon, pollack, cod and crabs that come from Russia but were processed in third countries. The ban has been in place for a long time, but previously did not contain a clause on processing in third countries.
What: Sputnik © Sergei KrasnouchovWashington has banned imports of raw and pre-prepared foods made from salmon, pollock, cod and crabs that were produced in whole or in part in Russia or caught in waters under Russian jurisdiction. This was announced by the US Treasury Department.
The ban also applies to fish and seafood caught by Russian vessels. The restrictions apply regardless of whether the food was produced outside the Russian Federation or was substantially processed into another product.
On March 11 last year, the United States imposed a ban on imports of fish and seafood from Russia. The press service of the fisheries union pointed out at that time that the direct export of fish from Russia to the USA was prohibited and that Russian fish supplies were mainly made via third countries. However, the ban has not yet extended to processing in third countries. In addition to fish and seafood, the US plans to apply similar rules to diamonds and alcoholic beverages.
Before the ban, Russia was one of the two main suppliers of crab to the United States, along with Canada. As a result of three quarters in 2021, imports of frozen crabs from Russia to the United States increased by 28 percent to $766 million, said Alexei Buglak, chairman of the Pollack Producers Association.
How Nikkei Asia wrote, after the introduction of US sanctions against Russian fish and seafood, Russia reoriented the export of these products to Asian markets. The newspaper linked the US embargo in particular to a large influx of imports of these products into Japan and a decline in crab prices.