Russia to Ban Imports of Norwegian Fish via Belarus in January

(Bloomberg) -- Russia plans to ban Norwegian trout and salmon products from entering the country through its neighbors from early January amid safety concerns.

Rosselkhoznadzor, the Russian body that oversees agriculture, has asked the Eurasian Economic Union to ensure that Norwegian fish isn’t delivered to Russia from other countries in the trading bloc from Jan. 9, according to a statement on the watchdog’s website. From Jan. 1 to Nov. 15 this year, EEU member Belarus imported more than 10,200 tons of aquaculture products from Norway, of which 9,500 tons were sent on to Russia, Rosselkhoznadzor said.

Norwegian fish products don’t meet the food-safety standards of the economic union and “contain traces of pharmaceuticals,” the watchdog said. The ban will remain in force until Norwegian producers and the country’s food safety authority provide Russia with guarantees on the safety of fish products, it said.

Russia curbed food imports from the European Union and Norway in 2014 in retaliation for sanctions imposed on the country for its role in the military conflict in eastern Ukraine. Prior to that, Russia was the main market for salmon producers in Norway.

--With assistance from Mikael Holter.

To contact the reporters on this story: Evgenia Pismennaya in Moscow at epismennaya@bloomberg.net;Dina Khrennikova in Moscow at dkhrennikova@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: James Herron at jherron9@bloomberg.net, James Amott, Andrew Reierson

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