The list of items Russia is purging from its trade imports is substantial, according to officials from the country’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, including fruit and vegetables from more established European trade routes.
Bob Stallman, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, told the Des Moines Register that the ban is more severe for Russian consumers than U.S. farmers and ranchers.
"America's farmers and ranchers would have been more surprised if Russia's leaders had not announced bans and restrictions on food and agricultural imports," Stallman said. "It is unfortunate that the biggest losers in this will be Russian consumers, who will pay more for their food now as well as in the long run.”
The U.S. Trade Relations website shows ag exports to Russia were valued at $1.2 billion in 2013. Beef trade to Russia dropped drastically in 2013 due to Russian restrictions on feed supplements given to U.S. cattle. Exports dropped from 50,040 metric tons in 2012 to 242 metric tons in 2013, according to the U.S. Meat Export Federation.
Read more about this story at The Washington Post. 
