November 25, 2009

Russia to keep meat import quotas until 2017

Sources within the Russian Agricultural and Industrial Union (RAIU) said the Russian government plans to maintain the meat imports quotas until 2017.

Importers should understand such measures due to large amount of local and foreign investments involved in Russian meat industry, said the RAIU.

Russia is currently continuing to develop the domestic meat industry, investing billions of euros in the form of state subsidies and restricting import volumes.

Russia will continue regulating meat imports until 2017 with customs and tariff quotas. But starting from 2017, only customs duties will be used, said a RAIU official.

The future duties will not exceed 30 percent, according to Ivan Obolentsev, head of the RAIU.