The EU unanimously agreed to the measures on Wednesday afternoon, 20 July:
- European Union has agreed to ban imports of Russian gold
- And also to freeze the assets of Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank.
EU officials described the new penalties as a “maintenance and alignment” package that offers clarity and guidance on the measures already imposed against Russia.
—
Background:
- Russia is circa the fourth largest exporter of gold in the world. Gold is its top export after energy.
-
The ban is being viewed as a measure directed mainly at the Russian elite – gold bullion has been used as a safe haven to soften the impact of Western sanctions
—
On the measures directed at Sberbank:
- the new sanctions will also freeze the assets of Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank, in the EU bloc
- will prohibit all transactions between the bank and EU countries, with the exception of financial operations for the trade in food and fertiliser
—
Info via Reuters
—
Gold slid overnight:
This article was originally published by Forexlive.com. Read the original article here.