MOSCOW, August 6 (RIA Novosti) — Russian food retailers will substitute foreign suppliers with domestic producers in light of temporary restrictions on food imports to Russia, an industry official said Wednesday.
Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree earlier on Wednesday banning imports of agricultural and food products from countries that imposed sanctions on Russia for one year.
"The decision has been made and it will be, without doubt, implemented," said Andrei Karpov, executive director of the Association of Retail Companies (AKORT).
"Now, we will adjust the list of countries-suppliers, review all contractual agreements, and consider the areas where we can increase the presence of domestic producers," Karpov said.
"The restrictions will most likely affect only the premium segment, while average consumers won’t feel any impact. Mass-consumption products are made in many countries, not only in the European Union or the United States," the official added.
The announcement comes after President Putin ordered the government on Tuesday to think of counter-measures to the most recent of EU and US economic penalties. Putin urged the cabinet to make sure that the steps taken to support domestic manufacturers are "without detriment to consumers."
Moscow has stated repeatedly that imposing sanctions against Russia will have a negative effect on the economies of countries that impose them and called the language of sanctions counterproductive.
