Russia could ban imports from Poland

Russia could ban imports of fruit and vegetables from Poland, Eastern European news agency ITAR-TASS has reported.

Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, Rosselkhoznadzor, has notified Poland's State Plant Health and Seed Inspection Serviceafter 'frequent safety violations in fruit and vegetable imports from Poland'.

In 2012 and the first third of this year, Russian inspectors questioned the quality of 21 batches of such imports.

The Russian watchdog also claims that Poland has repeatedly dispatched goods with false information about the country of origin and other details. This year, it claims, 916 cases of irregularities with documentation have been recorded.

Russia is the third biggest importer of Polish food. In the first eight months of 2013, products worth $1.12 billion were sold there, mostly apples, juices and dairy.