The UK has finally set a date for imposing a long-awaited 35% tariff on imports of Russian whitefish. The plan was initially announced in March, but was then suspended in April to allow it to analyze the potential impact of the new tariffs on British seafood companies. Andrew Crook, president of the National Fish Fried Association (NFFF), has confirmed that the tariffs will go into effect on July 19, 2022.
On March 15, Britain announced for the first time that it would ban the import of high-end luxury goods to Russia. The government also released a preliminary list of goods worth 900 million pounds (1.1 billion euros/$1.2 billion), including whitefish, which it said would face an additional 35 percent tariff on top of any existing tariffs. Three weeks later, however, the UK government abandoned plans to impose tariffs on whitefish, saying it would take time to assess the impact on the UK seafood industry.
The government has suspended the implementation of the tariffs following consultations with a “collective” from different parts of the supply chain, importers, fishermen, processors, fish and chip shops, and the industry, explaining that recognizing the tariffs will have consequences for many in the industry influences. It acknowledges the need to better understand other areas of the UK seafood industry and wants to better understand the impact it will have, including food safety, jobs and businesses. Since then, the industry has been preparing for its implementation.
Direct imports into the UK from Russia in 2020 were 48,000 tonnes, according to Seafish, the UK seafood trade association. However, a significant portion of the 143,000 tonnes imported from China came from Russia. In addition, some Russian whitefish are imported via Norway, Poland and Germany. Seafish estimates that around 30% of UK whitefish imports come from Russia.
Post time: Aug-09-2022