Sanctions against Russia
26 Commons Library Research Briefing, 22 March 2023
(EU Exit) (Amendment) (No.15) Regulations 2022, which were made on 28
October 2022 and came into force on 29 October.
A further ban on the export of services relating to IT consultancy (including
the design of IT systems and software applications), architectural services,
engineering, advertising, auditing and transactional legal advisory services
was also announced on 30 September in response to Russia's annexation of
four occupied regions in eastern and southern Ukraine.
Announcing the measures, the Government said they will "ramp up economic
pressure on the Russian regime by targeting vulnerabilities and disrupting
critical supply chains".
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In the area of transactional legal services alone, the
Russian government is estimated to import 85% of such services from G7
countries, of which 59% is provided by the UK.
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These measures are enacted by the Russia (Sanctions) (EU exit) (Amendment)
(No.17) Regulations 2022, which came into force on 16 December 2022.
Imports
Imports subject to additional tariffs
On 11 March 2022, the G7 nations issued a statement in which they set out the
intention to strip Russia of its Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) status. MFN
status is a key benefit of WTO membership and prevents other WTO members
discriminating against a country. That step had already been imposed by
Canada (see below).
The UK Government subsequently set out the "initial" list of goods, which will
be subject to an additional 35% import tariff on top of existing tariffs, on 15
March. That list extends to iron, steel, fertilisers, wood, tyres, railway
containers, cement, copper, aluminium, silver, lead, iron ore, beverages,
spirits (including vodka), glass, cereals, oil seeds, paper, machinery,
artworks, antiques, fur skins and artificial fur, ships and white fish. Those
additional duties came into effect on 25 March 2022.
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The Department for International Trade confirmed that these products had
been selected to "inflict maximum damage on the Russian economy while
minimising the impact on the UK".
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The then Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, said:
Our new tariffs will further isolate the Russian economy from global trade,
ensuring it does not benefit from the rules-based international system it does
not respect.
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On 21 April 2022 a further list of goods subject to additional tariffs was
announced, including, among other things, diamonds, leather, rubber,
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Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Press release, 30 September 2022
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Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Press release, 30 September 2022
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Department for International Trade, Additional duties on goods originating in Russia and Belarus
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Department for International Trade, Press release, 15 March 2022
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Department for International Trade, Press release, 15 March 2022
UK imports of goods
from Russia are at
their lowest level
since records
began.
Office for National
Statistics, June 2022
