Importing from Russia into the EU: what is still allowed
Russia is not under a total embargo; it is under goods-by-goods bans, bank-by-bank payment blocks and price-cap rules, and the difference between those three decides whether your shipment happens. What still enters the EU, why payments fail even for allowed goods, and the checks that must come before any order.
Reference material, not legal advice. The goods bans sit in Regulation (EU) 833/2014 as consolidated on 24 July 2026; the same text our
sanctions check reads its entity lists from. Every answer carries the date it was verified.
The short answers
Is all trade with Russia banned? no; bans by goods
No. The EU has banned named categories of goods, not all trade. Food, pharmaceuticals and some chemicals and fertiliser-related flows still move legally; but most of pre-2022 trade volume (energy, metals, timber categories) is banned, and the payment route often fails even for goods that are allowed.
What that means in practice: the question is never "is Russia allowed" but "is this HS code on a ban list, and is this bank still connected". The three layers that each have to pass:
- The goods layer: Regulation 833/2014's annexes ban named product categories from being imported (see the next answer).
- The payments layer: most large Russian banks are cut off or frozen; even allowed goods need a still-connected bank.
- The party layer: the importer, the supplier and the banks involved may not be listed; and listing can come after your contract.
Source: Regulation (EU) 833/2014, consolidated text of 24.07.2026 (EUR-Lex). Checked: 4 September 2026.
Which goods cannot be imported? the ban list
The main import bans: coal and seaborne crude oil and petroleum products, iron and steel products (Annex XVII), gold jewellery, cement, wood products, seafood, spirits, and luxury goods; with quota carve-outs for a few agricultural and fertiliser-related flows.
- Energy: coal since August 2022; seaborne crude oil and oil products since December 2022 / February 2023, with a price-cap mechanism for third-country carriers (Annex XXVIII).
- Iron and steel (Annex XVII, Article 3g): a long CN-code list of steel products; this is the ban that catches importers of Russian steel, fasteners and pipes.
- Article 3i goods (Annex XXI): cement, wood products, seafood, alcoholic liquors and more; with tariff-rate quotas for specific fertiliser and agricultural goods.
- Gold jewellery and luxury goods (Annex XVIII) above set value thresholds.
Never rely on a supplier's word: check the CN code of your exact product against the annex lists before ordering. A Binding Tariff Information makes the classification yours instead of your agent's guess.
Source: Regulation (EU) 833/2014 Annexes XVII, XVIII, XXI, XXVIII, XXXI (consolidated 24.07.2026). Checked: 4 September 2026.
Why does the payment fail even when the goods are allowed? the bank layer
Because the largest Russian banks are excluded from SWIFT or fully frozen; 103 credit institutions are listed under Article 5h alone. Your invoice may be legal and still be unroutable, and EU banks apply extra caution to anything Russia-related.
- Check the supplier's bank before you sign: a still-connected Russian bank is the exception now, not the rule.
- Expect scrutiny, not just refusal: your own bank may ask for the contract, the goods description and proof of screening before releasing a Russia-related payment; answer with documents; see what a bank block means and how to respond.
- Never route around a blocked bank through a third country or intermediary: that is circumvention, the most heavily punished category.
Source: Regulation (EU) 833/2014 Article 5h and Annex XIV (103 institutions, latest additions 13 August 2026). Checked: 4 September 2026.
Do I need to screen my Russian counterparty? yes; all of them
Every party in the chain: supplier, its bank, the freight forwarder, any intermediary. Russia-related trade is where designations are densest; our free check searches the EU trade-restriction annexes themselves, so Rosneft or Transneft appear with their Annex VI ground instead of "no hit".
The trap specific to Russia: the EU keeps two kinds of lists. The freeze list (269/2014) and the trade-restriction annexes (833/2014). Most free checkers search only the first; which returns "nothing" for exactly the companies the Russia measures name. Screen with a checker that covers both, or read which lists exist and which ones matter.
Source: our check's coverage, stated per list; Regulation (EU) 269/2014 and 833/2014. Checked: 4 September 2026.
What still moves; and how to do it properly? the working route
Food, pharmaceuticals, certain chemicals and fertiliser-related goods under quota. The working route: verify the CN code against the annexes, get the classification in writing, screen every party, agree the bank route before the contract, and document each step dated.
- Classify first: CN code against Annexes XVII, XVIII, XXI; before the order, not at the border.
- Screen all parties with the free nine-list check; save the dated result.
- Fix the payment route in the contract (which bank, which currency, who carries refusal risk).
- Re-screen before every payment: lists change monthly; a clean counterparty in March can be listed in May; monitoring automates that.
Source: Regulation (EU) 833/2014 quota and exception articles as consolidated 24.07.2026. Checked: 4 September 2026.
And exporting to Russia; same rules? stricter
No, the export direction is far stricter: dual-use goods, most industrial machinery, aviation goods, electronics and many services are banned or licensed for export to Russia. If your trade runs both ways, treat the export leg as its own compliance project; this page covers the import direction only.
Source: Regulation (EU) 833/2014 Articles 2–4 and Annexes VII, XL (export bans); dual-use Regulation (EU) 2021/821. Checked: 4 September 2026.