UK to ban imports of Russian caviar and high-end goods

The UK government has announced a new list of sanctions on Russian products, including caviar.

Changes confirmed this week include a ban on imports of luxury products such as caviar and silver.

Tariffs will increase by 35% on around £130m worth of items from Russia and Belarus, including tea, spices, animal or vegetable fats or oils, sugar, flour, meat and ‘products of animal origin’.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the total value of UK import tariffs and bans on Russian goods was now over £1b.

International trade secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said: “The UK continues to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine and is working closely with our international partners to inflict maximum damage to Putin’s regime, reducing the resources and funds he needs to carry out this illegal war.

“We are taking every opportunity we can to ratchet the pressure to isolate the Russian economy and these further measures will tighten the screws, shutting down lucrative avenues of funding for Putin’s war machine.”

The UK announced an initial round of sanctions in March, hitting items such as Russian vodka and white fish with a 35% tariff.

White fish from Russia has historically accounted for around a third of the volume used in the UK. This led to concerns from fish and chip shops that the spiralling cost of fish and sunflower oil, which is largely sourced from Ukraine, could push many businesses towards closure.

The government said legislation will be laid in due course to implement the new tariffs measures, while the scope of products affected remains under review.

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