By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday August 8, 2014
Russia retaliates after Canada imposes fresh sanctions, travel bans
Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered restrictions on food imports to strike back at the U.S. and other countries that have imposed sanctions over the turmoil in Ukraine.
The move came on the same day that Prime Minister Stephen Harper imposed fresh economic sanctions and travel bans on some Russian and Ukrainian individuals and groups.
The impact of Putin’s move on Canadian agricultural exports to Russia was not immediately known.
Canada exported $1.7 billion worth of goods to Russia in 2012, led by exports of food, including pork and crustaceans, according to a government of Canada report.
The Canadian Pork Council said it was monitoring the situation closely Wednesday.
Russia was expected to release a list of restricted or banned goods on Thursday.
The Canadian sanctions and bans come amid reports that Russia is massing thousands of troops along the Ukrainian border.
The Canadian measures, aimed at some 19 people and 22 groups and banks, are similar to those imposed by the European Union and the United States a week earlier and come on top of previous sanctions by Canada.
Putin retaliated Wednesday by issuing an order that bans or restricts for a year the importation of agricultural produce, raw materials and food from countries that have imposed sanctions on Russia.
Russia was Canada’s 18th largest export destination in 2012, according to a federal government report called “Canadian Trade and Investment Activity: Canada-Russia.”
Russia is the third-largest market for Canadian pork exports, after China and the U.S.
Canadian pork producers, who have shipped $213 million worth of pork to Russia so far this year, said they’re monitoring events in Russia closely. (Source: Toronto Star)
This cartoon was posted to iPolitics.com.