Import and export bans

International trade sanctions

The EU, in collaboration with the G7 countries and other like-minded partners, has stopped treating Russia as a Most-Favoured-Nation within the WTO framework as of 15 March 2022. This deprives Russia of key trade advantages as a WTO member.

The EU has decided to act not through an increase on import tariffs, but through a set of sanctions that comprise bans and restrictions on the imports or exports of goods, notably:

• an EU import ban on all finished and semi-finished steel products
• an EU export ban on luxury goods to directly hit Russian elites
• an EU import ban on non-industrial diamonds, mined, processed, or produced, in Russia. This is part of an internationally coordinated G7 diamond ban, aiming to deprive Russia of this important revenue stream estimated at €4 billion per year.
• an EU import ban on raw materials for steel production, primary aluminium, processed aluminium products and other metal goods
• an EU import ban on helium, which generates significant revenues for Russia
• an import ban on stolen Ukrainian cultural heritage items
• extension of the ban on export of luxury cars to all new and second-hand cars above a certain engine size (> 1.900 cm³), and all electric and hybrid vehicles
• a full ban on certain types of machinery components
• additional import bans, including cements, rubber products, wood, spirits, liquor, high-end seafood
• targeted export bans in areas in which Russia is vulnerable due to its high dependency on EU supplies. This includes, for example, quantum computing, advanced semiconductors, sensitive machinery and parts, construction-related goods, processed steel, copper and aluminium goods, lasers, batteries, transportation and chemicals. It also includes specialist catalysts for use in the refinery industry. This will contribute to degrading Russia’s technological base and industrial capacity
• restrictions on industrial goods with military significance, specifically targeting minerals, chemicals, steel, glass materials, and fireworks
• prohibition to provide enterprise and design-related software to the Russian government or Russian companies
• prohibition to purchase, import, or transfer, directly or indirectly, gold, if it originates in Russia
• restriction on the exports of a further 15 technological items found on the battlefield in Ukraine or equipment needed to produce such items
• prohibition to sell, license, transfer or refer intellectual property rights and trade secrets used in connection with restricted goods to prevent the sanctioned goods from simply being manufactured outside the EU
• tightening restrictions on imports of iron and steel goods by requiring importers of sanctioned iron and steel goods that have been processed in a third country to prove that the inputs used do not come from Russia
• stricter export restrictions with respect to dual-use goods and technology, and advanced technology items, for Russian and third country entities associated with Russia’s military-industrial complex
• export restrictions on certain chemical compounds used to produce solid state propellants
• export restrictions on Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine tools used for the production of battlefield equipment
• export bans on machinery and appliances, notably machinery used in the energy sector, such as gas turbines
• export bans on chemicals, in particular those used as raw materials in industry
• export bans on certain metals such as refined copper and articles of copper, aluminium and articles of aluminium, and articles of steel
• export bans on plastics
• export bans on salts and ores 
• export bans on construction materials 
• export bans on products made from rubber