Russia Imposes Restrictions on Agricultural Imports from the U.S., EU, Canada, Australia and Norway

8 August 2014
View Client Update

Key takeaways:

  • On 7 August 2014, the Russian Government adopted an official ban on imports of a wide range of agricultural products originating from the US, the EU, Canada, Australia or Norway. The Federal Customs Service has been designated to enforce the ban, and has commenced enforcement already.
  • The introduction of the imports ban, on top of the recent restrictions on agricultural imports from several countries on sanitary grounds, may lead to significant legal consequences including disruption of contracts, and creates potential for liability and other disputes. The actual impact may be broader than that and needs to be closely reviewed by the parties operating in the sector.
  • The client update discusses a number of the key legal issues that the parties are likely to encounter.