Russia extends Western food import ban through 2028
Fruit and vegetable producers in the EU have previously relied on Russian demand for apples, pears, tomatoes and other produce.
RUSSIA – Russia has extended its ban on imports of certain agricultural and food products from several Western countries through December 31, 2028, the government said. The restrictions include fruit and vegetables.
Russia introduced the measure in August 2014 in response to sanctions imposed on Russia. The import restrictions cover products originating from the U.S., EU, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Ukraine, Albania, Montenegro, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
However, the original list covered the U.S., EU, Australia, Norway, and Canada, with additional countries added later.
The latest extension will apply from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2028. The current measures had previously been extended through the end of 2026.
The extension comes as growers in the U.S. and Western Europe face hot and dry growing conditions. According to the information provided, forecasts for some EU summer crop yields have fallen as much as 14% below their five-year averages following heatwaves and drought.
Additionally, the potato harvest across Great Britain, Germany, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands is expected to incur weather-related losses of US$572 million to US$940 million, according to the data.
The ban covers a wide range of products, including meat, fish, dairy, fruit, vegetables and nuts. Russia has positioned the measure as a response to Western sanctions imposed over its actions in Ukraine and Crimea, maintaining the restrictions as a permanent feature of its trade policy rather than a temporary measure.
For Western exporters, the extension removes any expectation of regained access to the Russian market in the near term. Fruit and vegetable producers in the EU have previously relied on Russian demand for apples, pears, tomatoes and other produce.
The policy update highlights the intersection of prolonged geopolitical tensions and growing economic instability caused by climate-related agricultural failures, with Western farmers facing both reduced market access and weather-driven production losses.
The extension locks in the trade barrier for at least another two years, limiting export opportunities for affected producers while Russia maintains its retaliatory stance.
Russia, meanwhile, has expanded domestic production and redirected imports toward countries that did not join the sanctions, including suppliers in Latin America, Asia and the Middle East. The extension signals that this reorientation remains a strategic priority for the Russian government.
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