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According to sources, the tariffs are coming in June, so not for at least two and a half weeks. However, when they are announced, they will likely come into play on that day, sources said.

The UK, on March 15, issued sanctions against Russian imports, including whitefish products such as cod, haddock, and pollock. The products were among a list of goods worth approximately £900 million ($1.17 billion) that would face an additional 35% tariff hike on the normal rates.

However, when these duties came into force on March 25, whitefish was excluded from the UK's Department of International Trade (DIT) list.

"As previously announced, the government also intends to introduce a 35% tariff on imports of white fish from Russia. This will follow in [the] future, subject to further work on the specific implications for the sector. The overall scope of products subject to the additional tariff will remain under review," the DIT document states.

The delay period has allowed the UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to seek more insight from the sector on the implications, sources said.

DEFRA is holding weekly meetings with individual seafood processing businesses to understand the impacts of the tariff, a spokesperson told . This includes leading UK processors and their representative body, the Seafood Industry Alliance. 

The government also continues to speak with the fish and chip shop sector body, the National Federation of Fish Friers, "to understand [the] possible impacts of these tariffs on supply chains and any potential pressures, and offer support to businesses as they navigate these necessary changes". 

The EU has, so far, excluded Russian whitefish from any tariffs or the import ban on an estimated €5.5bn of products announced on April 8.

In the US, a ban on direct imports of Russian seafood has been put in place. However, the ban does not apply to Russian-headed and gutted fish processed in China and exported to the US, as previously reported by Undercurrent

Source: undercurrentnews