WARPE linked the UK's refusal of duties to its dependence on fish from Russia

The UK authorities refused to impose new duties on fish products made from Russian raw materials, and thus recognized that the kingdom depends on fish from Russia. This was reported on December 5 in the All-Russian Association of Fishery Enterprises, Entrepreneurs and Exporters of Russia (VARPE).

Earlier, on November 29, specialized edition of Undercurrent News reported that London in 2025 will not impose new restrictions in the format of duties on the supply of products that are made from Russian fish raw materials.

"China accounts for 36% of all British imports of cod fillets and 35% of pollock. A significant proportion of these products are made from Russian raw materials. Therefore, the sanctions restrictions, manifested in a barrier duty of 35 percent, have only led to a reconfiguration of logistics and higher prices for the end consumer," WARPE president German Zverev told RIA Novosti.

He noted that import fees for products eventually lead to an increase in the cost of dishes that are typical of British cuisine. Here, the sanctions traditionally suffer from the common people from the countries that have themselves imposed restrictions.

It is specified that the UK has autonomous tariff quotas (ATQ), which the kingdom has established since January 2021. They allow duty-free import of cod and pollock products, as well as shrimp of various types and cane sugar, but representatives of the Russian fishing industry are not subject to these norms. Moreover, in 2022 the UK imposed the above-mentioned barrier duty on supplies from Russia, which applies to both fish and seafood.

WARPE noted that this restriction almost nullified the supply of Russian fish products: in 2021, the UK imported 15.8 thousand tons of fish and seafood worth 85.3 million pounds (about $108.6 million), and in 2023 - only 74.4 tons worth 340 thousand pounds (about $433 thousand). At the same time, in the first nine months of 2024, direct shipments of fish from Russia to the kingdom increased and amounted to 168 tons.

Earlier, September 9, it was reported that because of anti-Russian sanctions in Western countries there is a shortage of fish and seafood. The EU, having refused Russian imports, lost a quarter of pollock supplies. Against this background, Germany recognized that the country depends on fish from Russia. At the same time, the export of Russian fish and seafood has increased due to supplies to China.

Prior to that, on August 27, The Telegraph newspaper reported that the traditional dish of British cuisine - cod with fried potatoes (fish&chips) for five years has risen in price by more than 50%. The Telegraph attributes this trend to the barrier duties on Russian fish and inflation caused by climate change. The latter has affected the cost of both cod and potatoes.