WASHINGTON—President Biden said Friday the U.S. will ban imports of Russian seafood, vodka and diamonds as it joins Western allies in severing normal trade relations with Russia following its invasion of Ukraine.
Mr. Biden said it would be “another crushing blow” to Russia and President Vladimir Putin on the heels of other efforts by the U.S. and allies to isolate it from international commerce.
“The United States and our allies and partners continue to work in lockstep to ramp up the economic pressures on Putin and to further isolate Russia on the global stage,” Mr. Biden said.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Congress intends to vote on legislation to remove normal trade relations with Russia next week in response to Mr. Biden’s request.
“Today our president will also put forth a request for us to bring to the floor, as we prepare to do next week, working in a bipartisan way,” Mrs. Pelosi (D., Calif.) said Friday in Philadelphia.
The proposed legislation would end the U.S. policy of treating Russia as a most-favored nation, a key principle of the World Trade Organization that requires member countries to guarantee equal tariff and regulatory treatment to other members.
The loss of the status means some Russian imports will be subject to higher tariff rates that are currently imposed on North Korea and Cuba.
Write to Alex Leary at [email protected], Eliza Collins at [email protected]. and Yuka Hayashi at [email protected]
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