Russia bans all Armenian products subject to quarantine controls — including vegetables, fruit, berries, nuts, and coffee

Russia’s Rosselkhoznadzor is banning imports of all products subject to quarantine controls from Armenia starting June 12 and blocking their transit to other Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member states.

The agency stated that it has repeatedly found quarantine organisms in Armenian shipments and that the problem has persisted despite warnings to the Armenian side. In June alone, according to Rosselkhoznadzor, there were three cases of khapra beetle infestation — in Armenian walnuts, dried peaches, and dried tomatoes.

Quarantine-regulated products include goods carrying a “high phytosanitary risk.” The list on the Rosselkhoznadzor website covers flowers, vegetables, fruits, berries, grain crops, tobacco, timber, and much else.

Rosselkhoznadzor began restricting imports from Armenia in May. It first banned flowers, then Jermuk mineral water, followed by vegetables, strawberries, dried fruit, and a range of other goods.

Russian regulators regularly impose import bans on products from various countries — often coinciding with a deterioration in relations. That was the case, for example, with the bans on Georgian and Moldovan wines and mineral water in 2006, Polish fruit and vegetables in 2014–2015, and Turkish tomatoes in 2015.