US Unlikely To Limit Exports To Russia As Part Of Skripal Case Sanctions- Russian Minister

The second package of fresh US sanctions against Moscow, which is due to come into effect in November, is unlikely to limit US exports as it is not in the interests of Washington, Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov said on Wednesday.

VLADIVOSTOK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th September, 2018) The second package of fresh US sanctions against Moscow, which is due to come into effect in November, is unlikely to limit US exports as it is not in the interests of Washington, Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov said on Wednesday.

On August 8, the US administration announced new sanctions against Russia, consisting of two packages, over its alleged use of chemical weapons in the poisoning attack on former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the UK city of Salisbury in March. The first package of sanctions, which in particular, includes a ban on deliveries of dual-purpose electronic devices and components to Russia, took effect on August 27.

"I do not believe that colleagues from the United States will accept economically unjustified decisions that will limit exports of their products. If they are buying from us what is profitable for them, then they are for sure interested in selling everything they produce," Manturov told reporters at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Russia's Vladivostok.

At the same time, if the sanctions restrict transactions in Dollars for the Russian business, the United States will only lose from such measure as other countries have already started to switch to the use of other currencies in operations, the minister noted.

According to media reports, the second round of sanctions, expected to roll out in November, may include scaling back diplomatic relations between the two countries, suspending flights of Russian airline Aeroflot to the United States and almost completely ceasing US exports. According to the US State Department, Russia could avoid these measures by assuring it will never use chemical weapons in the future.

Russia has repeatedly denied being involved in the Skripal attack, stressing that London has neither provided evidence nor cooperated with Moscow on investigating the incident.