Britain bans imports of diamonds from Russia, as well as "a number of items found by Ukraine on the battlefield"
Diamonds are among the ten largest non-energy exports of Russia, enriching the Russian budget
The UK government has issued two bylaws that further strengthen sanctions against Russia, the BBC reports.
One of them is intended to further reduce the export of British goods to Russia. It bans the export of goods to Russia that "pose a risk of military or industrial use," as well as a number of items discovered by Ukraine on the battlefield, including machine parts and electronic components.
"In fact, only low-risk exports of humanitarian, food and medical purposes will remain exempt from sanctions after this," the government said in a statement.
The second bill bans imports of Russian diamonds to the UK from January 1, 2024. In the future, the government plans to ban services related to the import of Russian metals, but only when it is possible to do so in coordination with international partners.
As a reminder, imports of diamonds from Russia are not yet banned in the European Union. It was expected that this restriction could be included in the 12th package of sanctions. However, this proposal of the European Commission has not yet been finalized.
It is assumed that the ban on Russian diamonds in the EU will deprive the aggressor's budget of significant revenues, as one third of the world's diamonds come from the Russian mining company Alrosa. In Russia, the group's share reaches 90%. Diamonds are also among the ten largest non-energy exports of Russia.
According to the government, in the year since the start of the Russian invasion, imports to the United Kingdom from Russia have fallen by 94%, and exports to Russia have fallen by 74%.
Based on 2021 figures, the new sanctions will potentially affect £70 million worth of exports and £67 million worth of imports, and will also tighten restrictions on the export of £662 million worth of goods already subject to earlier sanctions, the government writes.
On December 11, the United Kingdom launched the Trade Sanctions Enforcement Bureau, which has only one task so far: to monitor the implementation of sanctions against Russia and prosecute companies that try to circumvent them.
Background. Earlier it became known that Canada has banned the import of Russian diamonds and jewelry made with them.
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