Prices of sanctioned goods grow 3 times faster than other staples — ministry

MOSCOW, September 26. /ITAR-TASS/. The prices of products affected by the Russia's retaliatory sanctions grew almost three times faster than those of other staples, the Ministry of Economic Development said on Friday.

The price of fowl meat, pork, fish, cheese and fruit increased in August by 1.4%, which is almost three times faster than the prices of other products, adding 0.2% to inflation. In August, consumer inflation was 0.2% compared to 0.1% a year earlier. Consumer prices have grown by 5.6% since the beginning of the year, a 1.5% increase since the same period of last year.

Annual inflation in August increased to 7.6% from 7.5% in July, mainly due to growing prices of food products affected by Russian embargo on food imports from EU countries, Canada, Australia, and Norway.

Russia's retaliatory sanctions vs Western countries

On August 6, President Vladimir Putin signed an executive order on countermeasures to Western sanctions.

The Russian government was given relevant instructions. In particular, it was instructed “to take measures to ensure balanced goods markets and prevent accelerating price rises for agricultural products and foodstuffs; to organize together with regional authorities timely monitoring of goods markets; and act together with associations of goods producers, retailers and organizations to take measures to increase supply of domestic goods”, the executive order said.

On the same day, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a resolution banning the import of beef, pork, cheese, fowl, milk, and fish from the European Union, the United States, Australia, Canada, and Norway for one year.

The ban came in response to the Western sanctions imposed against Russia by the US, the EU, Canada, and Japan.

Putin said Russia’s response to the new round of Western sanctions would have to benefit domestic manufacturers. “If the government concludes that some steps are in line with the interests of our economy, then we will do that,” Putin told journalists. “But if it’s just for the sake of showing how tough we are, showing our teeth to sustain losses due to that, we will not do so,” he said.