Tobacco, alcohol, soy and sweets came to replace the "Bush's legs." The US, whose products were under sanctions, did not want to completely lose the Russian market, and switched to delivering other products, not always useful.
The Americans were among the first to impose sanctions against Russia. The answer was immediately followed: part of the US food export to Russia was banned. In total, in 2014, Americans imported into the Russian food market for an impressive amount of $ 2.75 billion. Products received since August under sanctions accounted for 22% of the total supply.
In 2016, the import of food products from the United States to Russia fell almost six times - to a modest $ 476.6 million. The worst damage was caused by the delivery of products of animal origin: they fell 97% to $ 9.6 million.
The Americans stopped importing chicken meat, pork and beef to us: earlier the volume of their import reached $ 251.1 million. The supply of milk, eggs, cheese, butter and honey, as well as various sausages, whose exports from the USA to Russia in 2014 was About $ 3.3 million.
Our market lost American fish and seafood, whose supplies previously reached $ 43.5 million, as well as a wide range of plant products: their imports decreased by 63% - to $ 186 million. Americans are no longer taking us to many fruits and vegetables. Basically it was legumes and potatoes, nuts, apples, citrus fruits, apricots and other fruits and berries.
Deliveries of most other products that are not included in the restricted list have also declined in two years. The fall in the ruble exchange rate made purchases in foreign countries more expensive, and the growth of own production reduced demand for them.
As a result, in 2016, tobacco and tobacco products from the United States came to the forefront of supplies - we purchased them for $ 91.4 million. At the same time, the Russian buyer gives special preference not to cigarettes, but to tobacco raw materials and waste - it accounts for 85% Of total tobacco imports.
American alcohol still comes to us: in 2016 - for $ 50.9 million. American liqueurs and whiskey are very popular.
On the part of plant products, we switched from fruits and vegetables to beans and seeds. We purchase soya beans that are used for feed production, as well as various seeds and planting material, in particular sunflower seeds - last year we imported them by $ 69.7 million, which is 21% more than in 2014.
Over 16% of food imports fall on different foods: sweets, pastes, cream powders and jellies, syrups, processed cheeses, protein concentrates and some semi-finished products. Their imports fell less than half - to $ 78.4 million, and now they occupy an honorable third place in terms of import volumes.
We began to spend less on purchases of food in the US and switched to other countries. Nevertheless, there are some goods, which we, despite everything, began to import more.
After the ban, we began to come to all kinds of products of processing vegetables, fruits and nuts. Thus, we imported 17% more fruit and vegetables, than we did in 2014 - for $ 271 thousand, canned tomatoes by $ 5.8 million (+ 68%). For lovers of sweet, the import of jam, marmalade, fruit puree and pasta increased by 19% to $ 491 thousand.
The Russian buyer paid attention to American cereals, many of which are used for fodder and technical purposes. In 2016, we imported 25 times more barley - $ 78.2 thousand, almost four times more sorghum - $ 2.3 million, and 85% more flour from peas, beans and lentils - by $ 371 thousand. And also 46% more cones of hops - by $ 1.7 million. They are widely used in brewing, cosmetology and production of medicines.
Recall, Russia imposed a food embargo in August 2014. Under the ban were vegetables, fruits, milk and many other products that used to come to us from the US, Canada, the European Union and other countries.
