Turkey Bans Transit of Several Goods to Russia

The Turkish government has divided a list of goods banned for transit to Russia due to Western sanctions imposed on the country. This was reported by Reuters, citing the chairman of the Istanbul Association of Exporters of Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Metals, Chetin Tezdelioglu.

According to him, products manufactured in Turkey can be easily shipped to Russia, even if they use components from other countries. However, re-export from free trade zones has been restricted since March 1, with appropriate directives issued.

Tezdelioglu emphasized that Ankara does not need a confrontation with the European Union, to which half of Turkish exports go. Turkey has been in a customs union with the EU since 1996.

Issues regarding transit were first revealed on March 9, when market participants reported that the Turkish customs service had blocked all cargoes headed for Russia. At the same time, various stakeholders provided their explanations for the encountered difficulties. Some linked the blockade of transit to a system reorganization, while others recalled U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recent visit to Turkey and the White House's threats to tighten sanctions.

On March 13, the transit of goods resumed, but there were no comments on the nature of the changes.