Despite the European Union’s economic sanctions on Russia, the country’s fish exports continue to flow into the EU market, with annual imports valued at hundreds of millions of euros. The EU has imposed multiple rounds of economic restrictions on Russia since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, but most food trade, including fish, has been exempt from these sanctions. Only select fishery items, such as caviar and crustaceans, have been banned, which has had a limited impact due to the small quantities of these products being shipped to the EU.

The EU imported approximately 179,000 tonnes of fish worth around €709 million last year, with the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Poland being the largest importers. The removal of preferential tariff treatment in 2024 has led to increased costs, with tariffs on Russian cod currently at around 12%. This has resulted in soaring prices, with Jorge Carneiro, vice-president of the Portuguese confederation CPPME, stating that prices are reaching levels never seen before, particularly in the run-up to Christmas.

The Baltic countries, Finland, and Sweden have been pressing the European Commission to curb Russian imports further, advocating for higher tariffs on fish products. Poland, which has also backed tougher action on Moscow, has fish processors that rely heavily on imported raw materials. The European Commission has held back on implementing further restrictions, citing stable import flows.

Russia has been expanding its fish exports to non-EU markets, with the Agriculture Ministry reporting a 13% increase in shipments of fish and seafood from January to October 2025. Exports of scallops and frozen fish to China have hit record levels, while crab shipments have resumed to Tunisia and commenced to Thailand. The significant decline in Russia’s trade turnover with the EU, from $417 billion in 2013 to around $40 billion expected this year, has led to a shift in focus towards other markets.

The continued import of Russian fish into the EU market highlights the complexities of implementing and enforcing economic sanctions. As the EU navigates its trade relationships with Russia, the impact of these sanctions on the fishing industry and related economies will be closely monitored. The ongoing situation underscores the need for careful consideration of the consequences of economic restrictions and their effects on various sectors, including the food trade.