Russia Bans US Poultry
Russia has banned U.S. poultry imports as part of a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin, the country’s veterinary service said Wednesday. Putin earlier signed an order banning or limiting imports of agricultural products from countries which have imposed sanctions on Russia.
Putin ordered his government to come up with a list of goods to be banned for imports into Russia and to last one year, the Kremlin said. The order says the limits are being imposed “with the goal of guaranteeing the security of the Russian Federation” and calls for undertaking measures to guard against quick price hikes. The decision on U.S. and EU food import bans would be “quite substantial,” the veterinary service said.
The move follows the latest round of sanctions against Russia imposed by the European Union last week, which for the first time targeted entire sectors of the Russian economy.
The U.S. and the EU have accused Russia, which annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in March, of fomenting tensions in eastern Ukraine by supplying arms and expertise to a pro-Moscow insurgency, and have imposed asset freezes and loan bans on a score of individuals and companies.
Some U.S. poultry producers, including Pilgrim’s Pride and Tyson Foods, were still trading in positive territory after the announcement.
