Russia to extend ban on Western food imports until early 2016

MOSCOW - Russia plans to extend a ban on Western food imports for six months starting from early August, after the European Union extended its own sanctions against Moscow, Russian officials said on Monday.

European Union foreign ministers extended economic sanctions against Russia until Jan. 31 on Monday, keeping up pressure on Moscow to help resolve the Ukraine conflict.

"A proposal (to extend the food ban) has been prepared and submitted to the presidential administration," Natalya Timakova, a spokeswoman for Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, was quoted as saying by TASS news agency.

"Regarding the list of goods which will continue to be under embargo, it remains virtually unchanged," she added.

Russia had been widely expected to prolong the ban beyond an Aug. 8 deadline, as officials previously said the decision directly depended on the European sanctions extension.

"Taking into account that the European Union has extended sanctions against the Russian Federation for half a year, I ask you to prepare my proposal to the president to extend the presidential degree (on the ban) for this period," Medvedev told a meeting with his deputies.

The ban, which prohibits food imports worth $9 billion from the United States, European Union, Australia, Canada and Norway, was imposed for a year in retaliation to Western sanctions on Russia over the Ukraine crisis.

Russia's Agriculture Ministry said earlier on Monday it might add new products to the list of banned imports, but the Kremlin is unlikely to approve any additions, sticking to what it calls a policy of reciprocity.

Russia has banned imports of fruit, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, milk and dairy.w

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Rice quota stays even after June 30 - NFA

MANILA – The National Food Authority on Friday said it will not issue import permits for rice in excess of the Philippines’ minimum access volume, even though the quota for the staple ends on June 30.

Angelito Banayo, administrator of state-run NFA, told reporters that the agency will observe the MAV pending the results of negotiations with other countries opposed to an extension of the Philippines’ quantitative restriction on rice.

“We will not accept any application that is outside MAV. We’ll see if there will be a reaction from the exporting country,” Banayo said.

“Any attempts, if ever, to ship cheaper rice outside the allowed volume, they will still have to pay the higher tariff rate,” he said.

MAV is the minimum volume of rice allowed to enter the Philippines at reduced tariffs.

The country’s MAV is set at 350,000 metric tons, which is slapped an import duty of 40 percent.

Banayo said rice-exporting countries may appeal the Philippines’ quantitative restriction before the World Trade Organization, adding that the government will have to wait for a decision from the global trading body.

“This will test how the WTO decides on the issue,” he said.

The Philippines has asked other Asean member-countries as well as other major trade partners for the retention of the QR on rice, citing the need to prepare Filipino farmers for international competition and the government’s goal of rice self-sufficiency.

An extension of the QR will allow the Philippines to limit the volume of rice imports, preventing the influx of cheap rice from other countries.

The government is asking for a five-year extension, but like Korea, may get a three-year extension.

As in previous bids to extend the rice QR, Manila has offered other rice-producing countries certain trade concessions, such as greater access to the Philippine market of other products.

China, India and Pakistan earlier objected to the Philippine bid for an extension of the rice QR.

source: interaksyon.com