UPDATE: Russian min offers to ban 80% of Turkish consumer goods imports

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MOSCOW / GORKI, Moscow Region, Dec 22 (PRIME) -- Russia’s Industry and Trade Ministry has offered the government to ban 80% of imports of Turkish consumer goods, but the final decision has not been made yet, Deputy Minister Viktor Yevtukhov told reporters Tuesday.

“We have made our suggestions and submitted them to the Russian government; that we would like to prohibit some consumer goods in order to create favorable conditions for our producers able to replace Turkish goods. But I can’t say now what will be the decision,” he said.

“Almost 70%, even 80% of consumer goods,” he said when asked imports of which goods are to be prohibited. But he did not elaborate whether the ban will cover only finished goods.

The Russian government is not considering any proposals from the ministry connected with introduction of restrictions on consumer goods imports from Turkey, Natalia Timakova, spokeswoman for Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, told reporters later in the day.

Relations between the two countries worsened after Turkey downed a Russian Su-24 jet in November. In response, Russia introduced economic restrictions against Turkey and abolished the visa-free regime.

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