EU lifts sanctions on Russian sable fur
EU member states have lifted the ban on importing Russian sable skins, imposed just in April, as part of the latest sanctions package. The exemption was justified by Russia's dominance in the global sable trade.
European Union member states have lifted the ban on importing Russian sable skins, which was imposed only in April. This change is included in the latest package of sanctions against Moscow, agreed upon last week.
The European Commission justified the exemption by noting that Russia dominates the global trade in sable skins, leaving European manufacturers with few alternative suppliers. A high-ranking EU official stated that these skins are very hard to source elsewhere.
Italy and Greece, the two main buyers of Russian sable skins in the EU, pushed for this exception. The sable is a small predatory mammal native to the forests of North Asia, valued for its exceptionally soft fur and long coveted by European luxury fashion houses. Russian sable coats can sell for tens or even hundreds of thousands of euros.
According to Sojuzpushnina, Russia's only international fur auction house, Greek and Italian companies remain among the leading international buyers alongside Chinese and Russian ones. For instance, Italian fur manufacturer Maurizio Braschi purchased the most expensive sable lot in September 2022 and again in May 2023 for a private client in Moscow.
Meanwhile, the import of finished fur clothing into the EU and its export to Russia remain banned under sanctions imposed in 2022, alongside other luxury items such as diamonds and caviar. In 2022, Greek fur producers strongly opposed these measures, warning they would be a death sentence for the industry.
The renewed exception restores access to raw Russian sable skins, though exports of finished fur clothing to Russia remain prohibited. This shift in stance on Russian fur comes as Brussels deliberates on its own fur farming industry. At stake is a potential EU-wide ban on fur farming following a successful citizens' initiative calling for an end to the practice across the EU, as well as a ban on the import and sale of fur products.
Only a few EU countries—Spain, Greece, Hungary, Finland, and Poland—still operate fur farms, though Poland has already enacted legislation to phase out the industry in the coming years. The European Commission has repeatedly delayed its decision, initially expected in March, and a draft proposal suggests it is leaning towards tightening animal welfare provisions rather than imposing a ban on production and import.
