Official: Turkey sets new rules for Russian food imports

ANKARA, Oct 9 (PRIME) -- Turkey has introduced new rules of agricultural product imports from Russia, Head of the Turkish agricultural exporters’ association Zekeriya Mete told PRIME on Monday following a Bloomberg report that Turkey had introduced limits on supplies of Russian agricultural products.

Mete said, “It is wrong to interpret this new order of imports as sanctions or prohibitions. Turkey, like Russia has its own food trade code. And sometimes goods without necessary documents are imported without control, and Turkish companies which sell these products later have issues with them. This is why, the decision by the authorities on the introduction of order is absolutely normal in these conditions.”

In March, Turkey slapped a 130% duty on imports of Russian wheat, corn and other products cancelling the country’s duty-free regime. The market saw the step as an attempt to exert pressure as Russia is yet to lift a ban on imports of Turkish tomatoes and some fruit after an earlier conflict involving downing of a Russian Su-24 jet by Turkish air forces.

Bloomberg reported that this time Turkey obliges Russian importers to receive permits in the trade representation or diplomatic missions of Turkey and Russia and that this is retaliation to the fact that Russia allowed imports from only nine Turkish companies.

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