Some goods are prohibited from being brought into Russia or are otherwise restricted.

The import of goods into Russia is carried out in accordance with the Unified List of the Commodities That Are Prohibited or Restricted for Importation into the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU). The list was approved by the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) Collegium Resolution No. 134 dated August 16, 2012. Additional documents regulating the import and export of goods include the Customs Union Agreement on Licensing Regulations of International Trade dated June 9, 2009, and the RF decree No. 1567-р of September 23, 2010.

A current list of these items and the applicable regulations can be found on the website of the Eurasian Economic Union (search for “Single list of goods subject to prohibitions or restrictions on import or export by the Customs Union member states within the EurAsEC when trading with third countries”).

The Russian Post, the postal system in Russia, has restrictions and prohibitions for international mailing of specific items, based on Article 22 of the Federal Law on Postal Service. Some categories of items may be permitted for international mailing for personal use, but will require authorization from the appropriate government agency. This is related to the imports of encryption-containing electronics. For more information and the current list of items, check the Russian Post website.

Russia has maintained a ban on the importation of nearly all U.S. and most European food products since August 2014 in response to Ukraine-related sanctions. Specifically, Russia imposed a ban on imports of certain agricultural and food products (covering about 52 specified classifications) originating from the United States, the European Union, Canada, Australia, and Norway. The ban applies to meat, meat products, milk, dairy products, fish, fish products, fruits, and vegetables. Salt was added to the list of prohibited products in November 2016, although the ban on salt deliveries for use in the production of medicines and bio-active supplements was suspended on May 20, 2017. The agricultural product import ban, originally in place for one year, has been extended annually, most recently on June 24, 2019, when President Putin signed a decree re-extending it through 2020. Absent significant improvements in Russia’s relations with the United States and Europe, analysts expect these countersanctions to be further extended beyond 2020.

Aside from restrictions imposed by the Russian government, a number of other exports to Russia are prohibited by U.S. laws or regulations. Russia-related sanctions have been implemented under multiple legal authorities in the form of executive orders and public laws. On August 2, 2017, President Trump signed the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), which codified and expanded sanctions announced from 2014 to 2016 on certain Russian entities and sectors. CAATSA includes sectoral sanctions affecting the financial, defense, and energy transactions, and “blocking sanctions,” which prohibit business with certain individuals and entities. U.S. sanctions on Russia include restrictions on the duration of debt and equity financing that can be provided to some Russian banks and energy firms, and restrictions on specific oil-related exports, services, and technology to Russia. Technology export controls focus on the exportation of goods, services, or technology in support of exploration or production for deep-water, Arctic offshore, or shale projects that have the potential to produce oil in Russia or in the maritime area claimed by Russia.