The European Union has excluded Russian fish from its latest sanctions package following opposition from Germany and Portugal, both home to significant cod processing industries.
During negotiations, Russian seafood was considered for inclusion in the new restrictions. However, Germany and Portugal argued that banning these imports could disrupt raw material supplies and create challenges for processors that rely on Russian fish.
The final package instead focuses on new financial sanctions, expands the list of sanctioned individuals and entities, and introduces additional measures against the so-called “shadow fleet” used by Moscow to bypass existing restrictions. Seafood products, however, were left out of the agreement.
The outcome highlights the EU’s effort to balance continued economic pressure on Russia with the need to safeguard key European industries. For the cod sector, excluding Russian fish from the sanctions package helps maintain supply stability and avoids additional cost pressures for processors that depend on imported raw materials.
