Despite Moscow's boycott, Russians are still allowed to order banned Western foods online, it turns out
Despite a ban on a wide variety of Western food imports, it turns out that Russians are permitted to buy boycotted food, if they place their orders online. According to a Federal Customs Service memo obtained by the news agency RBC, Russia's boycott does not apply to good imported for individual consumption.
In order to buy banned food using the Internet, Russians must submit a written or oral customs declaration verifying the food's private use.
The government memo is a response to an inquiry by Petr Sharapov, the head of the online store Shopfans. Sharapov told RBC that, according to the Federal Customs Service's rules, it seems Russian consumers who wish to buy banned foreign foods need only accept the website's terms of service and provide their passport information. He says any orders under five kilograms (11 pounds) should raise no concerns.
Update: Russia's Federal Customs Service later denied reports that individuals can use the Internet for small purchases of boycotted products. Officials told the news agency TASS that the sale of such goods is illegal even online.
“Customs officials are only going to start asking questions, if the same person is ordering large quantities of goods every day,” Sharapov explained.
- An embargo banning food imports from the EU, Norway, the US, Australia, and Canada is in place in Russia. In late July, Vladimir Putin ordered the complete destruction of banned products imported into Russia. Since August 6, the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance has been bulldozing and burning illicit fruits and cheeses discovered at the border and in stores.