Alaska Senators Propose Bill to Ban Russian Seafood Imports
Alaska's two Republican senators, Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski, introduced a bill that would ban the import of Russian seafood products. Russia doesn't import U.S. seafood products anymore, in retaliation for sanctions Western nations imposed after Russia invaded Crimea, part of Ukraine, a region that it later annexed. The bill, which the senators announced Dec. 11 but introduced earlier this week, is called the U.S.-Russian Federation Seafood Reciprocity Act.
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“As Congress works on a sanctions package to deter Russia from invading Ukraine, it’s important that we explore all sectors of the Russian economy that we can influence, such as restricting imports of Russian seafood,” Murkowski said. “Americans -- and especially Alaskans -- have faced a one-sided Russian embargo on our seafood since 2014, allowing Russia’s economy to benefit while U.S. seafood has been harmed. I’m hopeful that after years of pushing this issue, this Congress and the Biden administration will finally agree to equalize the treatment of Alaska’s world-class seafood. This is a perfect addition to a package meant to show Russia that undermining and disrupting global norms will not go unpunished.”
“Since Russia initiated its embargo, Alaska’s seafood producers have suffered unfairly by being locked out of key Russian seafood markets,” said Chris Barrows, president of Pacific Seafood Processors Association. “We’re grateful that Alaska’s congressional delegation has worked tirelessly across multiple administrations to remedy this glaring trade imbalance and support domestically harvested seafood, made more difficult by seemingly intractable geopolitical forces. Through Senator Sullivan’s legislation, he and Senator Murkowski are once again leading on this issue and showing their resolve to defend our industry, until free and fair trade can be restored.”