(SitNews) Washington, D. C. - President Joe Biden signed an executive order  on March 11th to prohibit the importation of Russian seafood and other key imports into the United States.

U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) applauded the announcement by President Biden that his administration will prohibit the importation of Russian seafood into the United States, in addition to banning goods from several other signature sectors of Russia’s economy. Sullivan has been working to ban the hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of Russian seafood that the U.S. imports every year since he came to the Senate in 2015, including introducing the U.S-Russian Federation Seafood Reciprocity Act with Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) on February 9.

President Biden also announced his intention to revoke Russia’s “most-favored nation” status as a member of the World Trade Organization. Sen. Sullivan called for this sanction on Saturday, March 5, after hearing from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a congressional Zoom meeting.

Since Russia imposed seafood bans on the United States in 2014, Senator Murkowski has worked to educate every President and their administration on the importance of re-opening the Russian market to U.S. seafood and failing that, creating a reciprocal ban on Russian seafood. Murkowski’s latest effort on this front was to introduce the U.S-Russian Federation Seafood Reciprocity Actwith Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK), which would impose a ban on the import of all Russian seafood products into the United States.

“I appreciate and strongly support the announcement by President Biden today that the United States will ban the importation of Russian seafood,” said Sen. Sullivan. “I’ve been advocating for such a move by our federal government through legislation and advocacy with top Cabinet officials during the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations. Just in the past few weeks, I’ve had detailed discussions with President Biden’s National Security Advisor and U.S. Trade Representative on this important topic—including just yesterday.

“Although this unfair and non-reciprocal seafood trade relationship between the United States and the Russian Federation has been harming our fishermen for far too long, I appreciate that the Biden administration has recognized the need to rectify it, and support the thousands of hard-working fishermen across the country and in Alaska.”

On February 15, 2022, Senator Murkowski spoke on the Senate floor, calling for a ban on Russian seafood, as well as Russian energy imports, to be included as part of any Russia sanctions package. Less than one month later, the President has prohibited importation of both.  

“President Biden’s executive order banning Russian seafood imports is long overdue, but incredibly welcome news. As I have told his administration—and every administration since 2014 - Russia’s dealings in seafood are inequitable and unacceptable. Russia has been closed to U.S seafood, yet their product continues to be sold widely within our markets. For far too long, we have been rewarding their bad behavior,” said Senator Murkowski. 

Murkowski said, “In Alaska, where we produce more than 60 percent of U.S. seafood, Russia competes directly with some of our most valuable species, such as salmon, crab, and Pollock, using inferior sustainability and processing practices. U.S. fishermen and women and America’s economy deserve a level playing field. While I wish we’d taken this step eight years ago at my initial urging, I thank the administration and welcome the relief this will bring our harvesters and processors.” 

Congressman Don Young (R-AK) said in a prepared statement, "I've spent weeks calling for a Russian seafood ban, and I'm pleased to see President Biden following my lead and taking action. A ban is a crucially important move, which is why I've been advocating so strongly for it among my colleagues in Congress. This is a harrowing moment in Europe. Vladimir Putin and his cronies continue reigning down terror upon Ukrainians. As dictators do, he's using Russia's economy as a piggybank to subvert freedom and kill innocent people. This is why we must sanction every sector of his economy to bleed his war machine dry. I will continue pushing my legislation to ban Russian seafood imports either as a standalone bill or as part of a broader sanctions package. America is unified behind Ukraine, and I call on my colleagues to forge urgent consensus on a sanctions effort that hits Putin where it hurts and sends a message of zero tolerance for his aggression."

“Crabbers are pleased to see the President’s swift action to ban US imports of Russian seafood with this Executive Order and thank the Alaska delegation for their leadership in highlighting this issue. This ban will provide an economic pinch to Russia that, for example with crab, cuts off nearly a billion dollars’ worth of crab coming into the US from Russia annually. At the same time, this ban provides an opportunity to increase consumer awareness about where seafood comes from and, hopefully, improve labeling and traceability to the benefit of sustainably harvested US seafood. For crab, while we need imports from other countries, like Canada and Norway, to meet the US demand, we want consumers to be able to choose premier crab from Alaska’s pristine waters,” said Jamie Goen, Executive Director, Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers.

“In 2014, Russia placed an embargo on U.S. food products (which included all Alaska seafood products with the exception of canned salmon).  Since that time, Senators Murkowski and Sullivan have worked tirelessly on behalf of Alaskan Fishermen and the seafood industry to highlight this gross inequity in the market and advocated for U.S. Seafood to be prioritized in Federal trade negotiations.  Last month, the Senators from Alaska introduced a bill to ban Russian seafood imports and today, the President issued an EO banning the importation of Russian Seafood.  Without a doubt, without the Alaska delegation’s support on this trade issue would not have been elevated to the national stage and gained the momentum that it has,” said Tracy Welch, UFA Executive Director.

“First and foremost, we must acknowledge the devastating toll that Russia’s actions are taking in Ukraine, home to hundreds of seasonal visa guest workers in Alaska’s seafood processing plants.  What we are witnessing is unconscionable.  We strongly support our industry’s Ukrainian workers and the combined efforts of the U.S. and other nations to help bring this war to an end.  Today’s action is just one of many actions to help achieve this goal, and it aligns with many company views and actions already underway in the seafood industry to boycott or end seafood trade relations with Russia,” said Chris Barrows, President, Pacific Seafood Processors Association.

Source of News:

Office of U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski
www.murkowski.senate.gov

Office of U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan
www.sullivan.senate.gov

Office of Congressman Don Young
www.donyoung.house.gov

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