A “significant” amount of produce out at sea needs to be returned to its original senders after Russia imposed a ban on food imports from Western countries, a unit of A.P. Moller-Maersk said in a regular newsletter to shippers.
Russia imposed the ban earlier this month in retaliation against Western sanctions for its actions in Ukraine, where pro-Moscow rebels are battling government forces. The West accuses Russia of fuelling the rebellion, a charge Moscow denies.
“Maersk Line customers were completely unprepared for these sanctions and since they had effect immediately, a significant amount of cargo at sea needs to be returned,” Maersk Line said in the note sent late on Wednesday.