About 100 restrictive measures against Russian commodities are in force in the world

Russia's Ministry of Economic Development and Trade reported that 92 restrictive measures are in force in nearly 40 countries of the world against Russian commodities.

Anti-dumping duties and quotas are imposed not only on chemicals and metal products from Russia but even on eggs, electric bulbs and matches.

The greatest number of restrictions on Russian goods are in force in the European Union countries, India, Belarus and Ukraine.

For instance, a ban on import of lynx and wolf skins from Russia are in force in the EU countries, quotas for import of goods of the nuclear cycle are covertly established, and quotas for steel import and anti-dumping duties on other kinds of metal products, wallboard and fertilizers are in force there. It is also prohibited to import table eggs from Russia to the EU countries.

Anti-dumping duties on Russian metal products and fertilizers are in force also in other countries - Argentina, Australia, India, Indonesia, the USA, Iran, Korea, South Africa, Turkey and Thailand. In China high duties were established not only on rolled stock but also on Russian rubber, polyvinyl chloride and caprolactam. At the end of last year Jamaica imposed a protective duty on Russian cement.

According to the Economic Development Ministry's data, Belarus now uses 13 restrictive measures with regard to the Russian goods, which are in conflict with the agreements existing between the two countries. For example, additional dues and procedures for import of Russian beer were unilaterally imposed, and licensing of the import of soap, margarine, flour, sugar, groats and bread from Russia was introduced. Quotas for import of cigarettes, fish and seafood were also established.

Quotas for import of cars (not more than 15,700 cars a year), cement, disposable syringes, and edible soda were established in Ukraine. The duties on sponge-cake products, electric bulbs and matches are also in force.

In 2003 the Russian Federation's Economic Development Ministry actively worked to broaden Russian goods' access to foreign markets. "This made it possible to prevent imposition of 12 new restrictions which could cause direct losses amounting to $470 million," the Ministry's documents notes.