Key facts
- Russia has imposed trade bans and barriers on Armenian goods.
- Gazprom Armenia cut off natural gas supplies to Armenia for 10 days.
- Kazakhstan's imports of Russian autos have fallen to near zero.
- Russia's readjustment of 'recycling fees' for imported autos in 2024 is seen as a tariff to protect its auto industry.
- Kazakhstan has banned imports of apples from EAEU members.
- Kazakh officials invoked Article 29 of the EAEU treaty to justify the apple import ban.
Russia is facing increasing trade disputes with fellow members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), undermining the bloc's stated goal of promoting free trade. These tensions arise as Russia's military faces setbacks in Ukraine.
Armenia has been a target of Russian economic pressure, with Moscow imposing various trade bans and barriers on Armenian goods. These actions are widely interpreted as retaliation for Yerevan's efforts to strengthen ties with the European Union. The economic pressure has extended to key sectors, including a recent 10-day cutoff of natural gas supplies by Gazprom Armenia. Russian National Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu accused the Armenian government of attempting to expropriate Russian businesses, hinting at further punitive measures.
Kazakhstan is also experiencing friction with Russia, particularly concerning the automotive sector. Imports of Russian autos into Kazakhstan dropped significantly after Russia adjusted its 'recycling fees' in 2024. Kazakh officials attribute this fall-off to Russia's new fee schedule, which is viewed as a protectionist tariff. Russian leader Vladimir Putin reportedly acknowledged that the higher fees would support the domestic auto industry. In response, Kazakhstan introduced its own reciprocal recycling fee structure on Russian and Belarusian imports.
Further highlighting the EAEU's challenges, Kazakhstan has banned apple imports from foreign states, including EAEU members, to protect its domestic growers. Kazakh officials justified this move by invoking Article 29 of the EAEU treaty, which allows import bans for specific reasons such as protecting human life or national security, though the treaty cautions against such measures serving as unjustifiable discrimination.