Alaska Delegation Presses to Close ‘Loophole’ that Allows Seafood Imports From Russia

WASHINGTON — Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan attempted to fast-track a bill to stop U.S. seafood imports from Russia that are being funneled through China, but was blocked Thursday on the Senate floor.

Sullivan and the Alaska delegation proposed the U.S.-Russian Federation Seafood Reciprocity Act of 2023 to stop allowing the U.S. to import Russian-origin seafood that has been processed in China. The delegation argues that permitting such imports undercuts the efficacy of sanctions on Russia during its war in Ukraine. There’s also an issue of fairness — Russia banned importing U.S. seafood products in 2014 as the U.S. imposed sanctions during Russia’s invasion of Crimea.

Sullivan said in a speech on the Senate floor that the imports are a “giant loophole. It’s happening every day. It’s an outrage.”

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