Turkish exports still stymied by Russia ban

ANKARA (AA) – Russia’s import ban is still blocking some Turkish goods with significant export potential despite the reconciliation in many areas, state statistics authority TurkStat said Tuesday.

Following the reconciliation between the two countries, Russia started to gradually lift the sanctions. But import bans on foods such as tomato and grapes, which have a market potential of $425 million in Russia, remain in force.

In January 2016, after Turkey downed a Russian fighter jet violating its airspace, Russia banned imports of Turkish fruits and vegetables including tomatoes, oranges, apples, apricots, cabbage, broccoli, mandarins, pears, peaches, cucumbers, plums, strawberries, onions, cloves, and poultry.

Turkey’s total export volume to Russia in 2015 for poultry, tomatoes, cucumbers, apples, pears, grapes, and strawberries was $425 million, according to TurkStat.

But the export potential of items such as onions, cloves, cabbage, broccoli, salt, gum, oranges, mandarins, apricot, peach and plum, which Russia recently withdrew their ban of, was approximately $155 million by 2015 numbers, less than one-fifth of the $877 million overall fruit and vegetable exports to Russia the same year.