Experts predict the disappearance of consumer goods from the shelves and an increase in unemployment.
Two Russian departments, the Ministry of Economic Development and the Ministry of Industry and Trade are considering the possibility of increasing customs duties on a number of goods from the EU, and restrictions on the import of Russian steel to Europe are also being worked out.
According to the press service of the RBC departments, officials are still assessing the feasibility of such measures in response to EU sanctions. Also the subject of discussion is the list of goods that may affect the increase in the fee.
Recall that the earlier edition of Vedomosti suggested that the increase in duties would affect the cost of consumer goods imported from the European Union.
An insider of the publication said that it could be about such popular products among Russians as a number of wines, beer, perfumes, decorative cosmetics. The growth of duties on agricultural equipment, refrigerators, shoes and other goods is also predicted.
Despite the fact that the size of the new duties is still unknown, experts are already predicting rates up to prohibitive.
According to the expert, the head of the company “Interportfolio” and a member of the Board of Support Alexey Kanevsky, once taken, these measures are capable of inflicting a serious blow to Russian consumers.
He assumed that the goods would rise sharply in price, or disappear from store shelves altogether. Against the background of a decrease in the purchasing power of the population, products may be unnecessary in Russia.
“Most likely, products.. it will slowly leave the market, “- quotes Kanevsky radio “KP ”.
Moreover, there will be nothing to replace it in the next ten years, he added, mentioning export wine and beer as an example.
“There is Krasnodar wine and Ochakov beer. But it is not necessary to compare it with the original drink from Germany or France in this case,” Kanevsky believes.
He also said that thousands of people may be out of work because transport, trading companies and manufacturers will start leaving the market.
Today, the ministry recalled that in June of this year, the EU extended restrictions on the import of some Russian steel products to the Union countries for another three years.
So, deliveries that exceed a certain quota are subject to a duty of 25%. And according to the WTO agreement, in response, Russia can suspend trade concessions, doing so to the extent that Russian exporters were harmed.
The experts of the Ministry of Industry and Trade explained to the media that the ratification of the retaliatory measure may actually include a unilateral increase by the Russian side of import customs duties on certain types of products, but did not specify which goods are in question.
The second option of retaliatory measures may be “suspension of tariff preferences in relation to the EU,” the Ministry of Industry and Trade explained.
Officials assure that these measures cannot be called sanctions, but they will work until the EU protective measure is lifted.
As Topnews wrote earlier, Russia may introduce new duties on purchases in online stores.