Restricting imports to the Russian food market: simply an act of protectionism?

Abstract

During the past decade Russia has imposed import restrictions on different types of food and plant products from a vast number of countries, claiming to be acting on food safety scandals as the primary reason. However, most observers interpret these measures as acts of protectionism. In this article the Russian import restrictions on Norwegian fish products are presented as the main case in a discussion of the rationale behind the measures. Our main finding is that, although the measures are trade barriers that lack transparency and documentation related to the alleged food safety risks, the traditional protectionist rationale, i.e. restricting imported volumes to prevent competition, does not seem to be the driving force behind the restrictions. Instead, we argue that food trade is regulated in order to regain governmental control over economic transactions and economic actors. Russian authorities have been very careful not to disturb the overall supply of seafood to Russia when implementing new import regulations. Also, import volumes of food to the Russian market in general have been increasing. This is linked to the fact that Russia is highly import-dependent and unable to replace imports. Finally, we discuss the implications of these findings with regard to future market access to the Russian food market, including the potential for Russia's adaptation to relevant World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreements.

Redefining Business Values in Russia: The Boundaries of Globalisation and Patriotism in Contemporary Russian Industry

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The Political Economy of Food Standard Determination: International Evidence from Maximum Residue Limits

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Cultural adaptation in cross-national buyer-seller relationships

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“…The Russian Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary Service (VPSS) claimed that it had discovered high levels of cadmium and lead in farmed Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout imported from Norway. It thus imposed an import ban that excluded many Norwegian sellers from exporting to Russia and granted several Russian importers control of all red fish imports, as well as power to influence the VPSS regarding which exporters should receive approval and which should be excluded (Elvestad and Nilssen, 2010). The import restrictions have been expanded to include all fish species exported from Norway to Russia and have resulted in a substantial power advantage in favor of Russian buyers.…”