Since 6 March 2017, fruits and vegetables from Ivory Coast are only allowed to enter Russia via direct imports, as reported by the department of the Rosselkhoznadzor (Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance) in the Samara region. In fact, this region has already established direct relations with suppliers from West Africa, so the products are now only imported without intermediaries.

This decision was made in connection with the fact that suppliers had been introducing banned products via Belarus under the guise of fruits and vegetables from Ivory Coast. The products arriving will be checked at the Russian section of the external border of the Eurasian Economic unio.