MOSCOW, December 15. /TASS/. Direct losses of the US business from Western sanctions totaled about $100 bln, President and CEO of AmCham Russia Robert Agee said in an interview with RTVI television.

"We calculated that the direct strike totaled about $100 bln and damage in total amounted to almost $300 bln, including potential losses of specific business. Yes, this is the total damage from US sanctions and from Russian countersanctions," Agee said.

The AmCham President also informed about the poll on the issue of the impact of Western sanctions on the US business. "We had the poll. We received the following answer under the 10-point scale [from the standpoint of damage for American companies]: US sanctions are 8 of 10, that is, a serious blow. Russian countersanctions, if I am not mistaken, were estimated as 5 of 10. In other words, according to the assessment of our businesses, Russian sanctions did not play so strongly against us as [our own] American sanctions," Agee noted.

Furthermore, profits of the US business in Russia totaled about $20 bln over the last four years and it should have been directed to dividends, Agee said. "We have some data. For example, profits over the last four years that we failed to send to the account of dividends - it is about $20 bln," he noted.

The Chamber attempts to convince the US administration to lift the ban on investments in Russia, Agee said. "We believe when Americans will lift the ban on investments, it will be much easier to send dividends to the United States," he stressed.