Britain groans from our sanctions

[DARPA]

Thus, the sanctions the EU imposed last summer against Russia because of its actions in Ukraine extended by six months. Our government also extended the ban on import of the return of some products from the West. By the way, for almost a year how these mutual constraints. Does the British felt their effect on yourself? - Mainly in the programs of Russian television. The same reduction in exports to Russia, which actually occurred (for example, whiskey), is due to the fall of our own demand due to a sharp decrease in income of Russians.


"We have made great efforts to sell the fish to other markets, primarily - to the Far East to West Africa, as well as in Western Europe. And we have sold to these markets most of the fish, which meant Russia", - says Sinclair Banks CEO Lunar Freezing, which is based in Peterhead, is in the northeast Shotlandii.- the BBC did some research on the impact of Russian sanctions on the UK economy.

In the 2000s, the beginning of the Lunar Freezing supply to Russia of Atlantic mackerel, herring and blue whiting. With the introduction almost a year ago, in July 2014, sanctions against Russia and then her response embargo, the company lost market, which exported 16% of its fish.


Some of this fish before exported to Russia

Headache for management

According to British experts, Lunar Freezing - one of the few companies in the United Kingdom, which reflected the sanctions and embargo grocery.

"I would say that the British economy has not suffered greatly as a result of sanctions against Russia," - said John Lough, a member of the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London - Chatham House.

The same expert said, and the response of the Russian ban on the supply of products from the EU: "I think that British companies do not export large quantities of goods to the Russian market. There are individual cases, but I do not think this is a significant factor."

Sam Sinclair Banks also recognizes that its employees do not feel the impact of the restrictions: any salary or the number of jobs is not affected. Rather, it has become a headache for management. "We as a company are responsible for the sale of fish to other markets, and the people involved in the production, did not suffer. We did not discuss this situation. It is the geopolitical circumstances that we do not understand. ... Let those engaged in politics," - says the head of the Lunar Freezing.

Among the victims of the sanctions and embargoes in the UK is not only the producers of fish, but also, for example, the oil companies.

Immediately after the imposition of sanctions and embargoes in the summer of 2014 loss forecast dairy producers. According to the NGO AHDB Dairy, uniting British milkman British exports of cheese, butter and powdered milk in Russia does not exceed 0.7% of total exports for each of the products.

Exports of dairy products from Britain to Russia to sanctions and embargoes (2013)



But, contrary to predictions, according to data released in June, in January-April 2015 the export of British cheese and butter increased compared with the same period last year.

The problems are, but also the consensus?

The Russian market lost to the British Lunar Freezing, "captured" Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. A British company had to look for new markets.

"The Far East, West Africa became our best markets. But we are still experiencing difficulties, in order to sell the volume, which bought Russian" - says Banks.

However, according to experts of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, in British society there is a consensus on the "Russian question".

"There is a more or less unified position that the British did not agree with the position of Russia in Ukraine, condemn Russia's behavior on the periphery, in the CIS countries, and believe that this creates problems for the security of Europe, and that we must act," - says John Lough.

"I did not even think about it ... No, me personally, they (sanctions - Ed.) Is absolutely not affected. ... It had no impact on my life, and I do not know anyone, who would it touched," - says a resident of London, Patricia.

"It's like something is not being discussed, even in the media. ... I even somehow especially did not hear about it," - he says the LTTE it - Italian, but he lives and works in London.

According to Lafayette, Britain spared from losses that this country has not historically had strong economic ties with Russia.

Not only sanction

Scotch whiskey, in contrast to many other products, the Russian embargo did not affect, but as it turned out, the industry has suffered and no fees.

According to the Association of Scotch whiskey producers, direct export of the drink in Russia in the past year fell by 93%.

Experts explain this association landslide general economic problems (in particular because of the sanctions, but indirectly) and political instability.

Although the fall in exports to Russia in percentage looks impressive, the situation is slightly different if you look at how much of the total exports were delivered in Russia: it is about 1.8 million pounds of the total exports to 3.95 billion pounds in 2014.
However, producers of whiskey, especially when it comes to expensive single malt product, do not live by one or even several years.


This distillery in Scotland, a little less than 200 years.
With such a long history of the year sanctions seems a trifle


With an eye to decades

Alan manages Makkonnehi GlenDronach distillery in Scotland, whiskey is produced here intermittently for nearly 200 years. In 2008, the distillery bought BenRiach Distillery Company Limited, which owns two distilleries in Speyside. In this part of Scotland has the largest number of enterprises, which produces single malt whiskey. And almost all of them have a long and rich history.

Political and economic turmoil has not greatly affect the GlenDronach: here are still working mechanisms established in the early twentieth century, and whiskey, which is made today, get your consumer, not earlier than a few years.

"In Eastern Europe it - Russia, Poland and some Baltic countries - also good customers. We work with almost every Eastern European market" - says Makkonnehi.

According to him, sales in Russia recently increased, but it is not a mass market, but on the more expensive drink lovers.

Is there felt the effect of sanctions and economic problems?

"Yes and no. Can you feel it in a year, and then will rise again. The whiskey, which we are doing now, do not get sold until 2019, 2020, 2030 or even 2040. Perhaps now is an abbreviation of the Russian market due to the economic climate, but then again it will rise. As the Far East and Japan, "- says Makkonnehi.



Manufacturers Scotch emphasize:
they focus only on the long-term


Within 1.5%

Not very significant losses from the sanctions confirmed by statistics. According to the Office for National Statistics, UK exports to Russia fell from 5.2 billion pounds in 2013 to 4.098 billion pounds in 2014. This percentage reduction does not look very impressive: from 1.7% to 1.4%. The Russian market in the ranking of the 50 largest export markets for UK dropped from 16th to 17th position. At the same time, according to statistics, the British exports to Russia began to decline even before the crisis caused by Russia's actions in Ukraine.

So, if in 2012 Russia was 12th among the British export markets (1.9%; 5.588 billion pounds), then a year later became the 16th. But there are also indirect but positive impact of sanctions and embargoes to Britain.

For example, according to an employee of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, John Lough, due to the outflow of capital from Russia: "Part of this sum falls in London, in the UK, of course ... So certainly our bankers, realtors, lawyers, law firms make money on it."