Russia on Thursday announced a temporary ban on imports of some Belarusian dairy products including milk, citing "repeated violations of veterinary and sanitary norms". The neighbouring countries have been wrangling over the key dairy sector for months.
Russia's agricultural industry regulator Rosselkhoznadzor announced on its website that "from February 26 we are forced to introduce temporary restrictions on imports to Russia of goods that have seen the largest number of violations." The stakes in the standoff are high for ex-Soviet Belarius, whose economy is extremely closed and highly dependent on Russia, the destination for almost all its food exports. The measures affect milk and cream as well as condensed and powdered dairy products and dairy products used in industrialised food production.
Russia said they will remain in force until negotiations with Belarusian food hygiene regulatory bodies resolve the situation. Around 25 percent of dairy products in Russia are imported, many of these from Belarus. According to Russia's national union of milk producers, Soyuzmoloko, between 78 and 92 percent of dairy products imported to Russia from January to November last year came from Belarus.
Russia has introduced restrictions on Belarusian exports and businesses in recent months, softening or intensifying them in turn. In recent years, Moscow has frequently imposed such trade restrictions on countries when diplomatic and political relations deteriorate.