Moscow's invasion of Ukraine: UK slaps heavy tariffs on Russian imports

LONDON: The UK government on Tuesday imposed an additional 35% import tariff on a swathe of Russian goods, including vodka, and banned exports of luxury products because of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

"We want to cause maximum harm to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's war machine while minimising the impact on UK businesses," the Department for International Trade said.

"Russian vodka is one of the iconic products affected by the tariff increases, while the export ban will likely affect luxury vehicles, high-end fashion and works of art."

The list of goods covered by the additional tariffs includes steel, wood, cereals, drinks, fur and whitefish — all worth around £900 million ($1.2 billion, 1.1 billion euros) a year.

"The export ban will come into force shortly and will make sure oligarchs and other members of the elite, who have grown rich under President Putin's reign and support his illegal invasion, are deprived of access to luxury goods," the DIT said.

The UK will also deny Russia and its ally Belarus access to Most Favoured Nation tariffs under World Trade Organization rules.

"The UK is working with our international partners and is supporting the WTO to prevent those who fail to respect the rules-based international order from reaping its benefits," it said.