Kazakh withdrawal of Russian food not trade war, but quality woes
ASTANA, Apr 13 (PRIME) -- There is no trade war between Russia and Kazakhstan, but there are questions about the quality of products of some suppliers, Deputy National Economy Minister Kairbek Uskenbayev told reporters Monday, rebutting earlier media statements.
Earlier on Monday, business daily Kommersant reported that Kazakhstan has started to withdraw Russian meat, butter and sweets from store shelves as their cheapness undermines demand for locally produced goods. Many other Russian products may soon be withdrawn from stores. Russia retaliated by declaring sanitary norm violations in Kazakh dairy products and melons.
Kommersant qualified the conflict as the onset of a trade war.
“There is no trade war. Russia is the friendliest and the closest country to us,” Uskenbayev said. “It has nothing to do with Russia, the problems is with concrete producers who make low-quality products, and it is absurd to bring it to the level of a state conflict.”
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