Starting Sept. 1, Russian state institutions will have to turn to Belarus and Kazakhstan for all their horse-saddle import needs.
On that day, a prohibition on federal imports of light-industry goods from outside of the Moscow-led customs union will enter into effect, Kommersant reported Monday.
In all, the measure will apply to 18 different products, including fabrics, clothing, footwear, rope, rubber soles and horse saddles.
Russian government institutions will only be able to circumvent the ban in cases when a necessary light-industry good is not produced in Russia, Belarus or Kazakhstan.
In that event, a given institution will have to submit an official request to the Industry and Trade Ministry detailing the characteristics of the light-industry product needed from abroad, a process that could take weeks, according to Kommersant.
The timing of the decision is not linked to Russia's reaction to Western sanctions by banning a long list of food products from the EU, U.S., Canada, Norway and Australia earlier this month, according to the newspaper.
Kommersant reported that work began on a draft version of the ban after President Vladimir Putin announced plans in May to substitute agriculture and light industry imports with home-spun replacements.
This is not the first time the Russian government has worked to distance itself from foreign imports.
In July, the Russian government forbade its institutions from purchasing foreign vehicles, as well as public transportation equipment and public utilities manufactured abroad.
Last week, the Economy Ministry said that it was a developing a bill that would prohibit foreign companies from bidding for Russian state contracts in cases where two or more Russian companies had launched bids for a given tender.
See also:
Russia May Ban Car Imports if West Imposes New Sanctions, Sources Say
