Despite ongoing economic sanctions imposed by the West against Moscow over its special operation in Ukraine, Norwegian imports of salmon feed from Russia have nearly doubled since last year.
Even though the sanctions prohibit “directly or indirectly buying, importing, or transferring goods that generate significant income for Russia,” the value of feed imports amounted to NOK 309 million ($31 million) in June alone, the newspaper Aftenposten reported.
That is nearly twice the figure from last year, Statistics Norway stressed.
“Fish feed and raw materials for fish feed make up a significant part of the overall import value in June,” Statistics Norway section leader Therese Vestre told the newspaper.
The Norwegian government explained that this is a result of a conscious approach.
“The government prioritizes Norwegian economic interests, and that we should make as much money as possible, rather than being as tough in the sanctions against Russia as the EU and most major European countries are,” Liberal party business spokesman Alfred Bjørlo explained.
The overall June figures, though, indicate that imports from Russia have fallen. Nevertheless, in total, Norway bought close to NOK 1 billion ($100 million) in goods from Russia over the past month.
The value of goods exported from Norway to Russia amounted to NOK 633 million in the second quarter of 2022 ($64 million), marking a decrease of 37 percent from the same period last year.
Fish and seafood, fresh, chilled and smoked, are counted among Norway's top exports, second only to oil and gas products. In 2021, Norway exported 1.4 million metric tons of fish from aquaculture to the tune of NOK 85.7 billion ($8.6 billion), a 16 percent increase in value compared with 2020. The most valuable species are salmon and cod.
Since Moscow recognized the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics and launched a special military operation in Ukraine in order to protect the Donbass population, the West has imposed several packages of sanctions against Russia, targeting, among others, cutting-edge technology, machinery and transportation equipment, dual-use goods and luxury goods, as well as banking and finance. A number of Western companies have since left the Russian market or broken ties with the country, a move presented as solidarity with Ukraine.
Nevertheless, despite the towering sanctions pressure and calls from the US to isolate Russia and rid it of income, this policy has not succeeded in full, as even numerous members of the Western world continue to do business with Russia, setting their own economic interests above ideology.