Valio will not shut down factories in Russia

The Finnish company Valio does not close or stop the work of Russian factories that produce dairy products. This is stated in a company statement .

At the same time, supplies of Valio dairy products from Finland and Estonia have been stopped since Thursday. “We are talking about the termination of the production of goods for Russia at factories that operate in Finland. The production of products in Russia will continue,” said Valio CEO Pekka Laakasonen.

Valio has its own production in Russia in Ershovo, Moscow region, where Viola processed cheese is produced "in triangles" and Oltermanni and European Collection cheeses are cut. In addition, Valio has a contract production of Valio Clean Label drinking yoghurts and Valio Gefilus kefir bioproduct at the Galaktika plant in Gatchina. The milk for these products comes from two company-certified local farms in the Leningrad Region.

“At the moment, we are very carefully considering the possibility of expanding production,” the message emphasizes. “Together with consumers, we are monitoring developments and hope for a positive resolution of the situation.”

Valio produces and supplies to the Russian market not only dairy products, but also juices, fruit drinks, jelly, water and some other products. Their deliveries were not banned.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev approved a list of products prohibited from import from countries that have imposed sanctions against Russia. It includes goods manufactured in the USA, Canada, EU countries, Norway and Australia. Products from Switzerland and Japan, which also imposed sanctions against Russia, are not prohibited from being imported.

The list includes: beef; pork; poultry meat; sausages and similar products, as well as products made from them; Fish and seafood; milk and dairy products, including those based on vegetable fats; vegetables, root crops and tubers; fruits and nuts. An exception to these categories of products is made only for baby food products.

The list was adopted in pursuance of Vladimir Putin's decree "On the application of certain special economic measures in order to ensure the security of the Russian Federation" issued the day before. The ban was explained by "protection of the national interests of the Russian Federation."

The embargo was introduced for a period of one year. At the same time, Putin's decree allows for the adjustment of the list of prohibited goods in order to "ensure the balance of commodity markets and prevent an accelerated rise in prices for agricultural and food products."

After the decree was issued, a senior US administration official remarked that the measure would only increase Moscow's international isolation and hurt Russia's own economic interests. "The Russian Central Bank said yesterday that the ban on food imports would push up the already high inflation in Russia and undermine the purchasing power of Russian citizens," the official explained.

Meanwhile, the European Union has expressed readiness to file lawsuits against the Russian ban with the World Trade Organization . "The politically motivated large-scale trade bans are a direct violation of WTO rules," an unnamed European diplomat told ITAR-TASS. In the coming days, he added, a meeting of the EU Council "at the level that is necessary" could be convened to discuss the situation.

The interlocutor of the agency called the Russian ban a measure "irresponsible and aimed at further escalating tension in relations between the Russian Federation and the countries of the West." She "beats the area and is not of a targeted nature," he noted. Meanwhile, the damage from it can reach several billion euros, and not only European producers, but also Russian consumers will suffer.