The Council of the
European Union has announced that it has decided to prohibit the import into the EU of goods originating from Crimea or Sevastopol, reiterating that it will not recognize the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russian forces.
The Council stated that the EU will accept imports of goods that have been granted a certificate of origin by the government of Ukraine.
On the other hand, market sources report that Ukraine's main export ports are Odessa and Mariupol, pointing out that export activity from Crimea is very limited. Accordingly, this decision to ban imports appears to be aimed at preventing Russian exports to the EU through Crimea or Sevastopol.