RIGA, August 7 (RIA Novosti) - Russia’s ban on imports of agricultural and food products from the countries that imposed sanctions against Moscow, will hit Latvian producers of dairy products, the head of Latvia’s Agricultural Market Promotion Centre Inguna Gulbe told journalists Wednesday.
Gulbe added that some goods are produced specifically for Russian consumers, such as tinned fish, and finding new markets will take time and marketing efforts.
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree banning for a year imports of agricultural and food products from countries that imposed sanctions on Russia.
The complete imports “black list” is expected to be announced on Thursday and will be “very substantial.”
The European Union, the United States, Canada and Japan have compiled sanctions lists against Russian companies, banks, politicians, freezing their bank accounts, banning them entry and refusing to buy Russian goods. The move has been linked to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Since March, the European Union has imposed a total of nine rounds of sanctions, with two of them against the former Ukrainian leadership and seven against Russia. Washington has adopted a total of six rounds of anti-Russian sanctions.
Moscow has repeatedly called the measures counterproductive and stressed that Russia was never involved in the Ukrainian conflict.
