US security assistance shipment for Ukraine will arrive in Europe in the next 24 hours, US defense official says

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US President Joe Biden said Friday that the US would ban imports of seafood, vodka and diamonds from the nation as part of an effort to ramp up economic pressure on Russia for invading Ukraine.

In remarks from the White House, Biden also called for revoking Russia’s “most favored nation” status, known as permanent normal trade relations in the US. The move, which has been coordinated with G7 and EU allies, will require an act of Congress.

The United States’ ban of exporting of luxury goods to Russia, which Biden referenced in his speech, will also include items like tobacco, clothing, jewelry, cars and antiques, an official administration tells CNN.

The idea behind this, the official explains, is to continue hurting Russian oligarchs and the country’s wealthiest by depriving them of their creature comforts, as the US continues to try to put pressure around those close to Vladimir Putin. It is also aimed at removing ways for these oligarchs to shelter their money, as they are already increasingly closed off from traditional financial avenues, the official said.

So how much alcohol and seafood does the US import from Russia? The US imported 48,867 metric tons of seafood from Russia in 2021, worth about $1.2 billion, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Crab accounted for the largest portion of those imports, with the US buying more than $900 million worth of frozen snow and red king crab last year.

The US does not sell any seafood directly to Russia, as the country banned US exports of seafood and fish in 2014.

CNN is still tracking down overall alcohol figures but according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, imports of Russian vodka to the United States accounted for only 1.3% of total vodka imports in in 2021.

The total amounts to $18.5 million dollars in 2021, the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States said.

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