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Photo: Stockfile/FIS
Russia and Chile to Hold Talks on Seafood Supply Amid Ban Threat
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Tuesday, October 14, 2025, 00:10 (GMT + 9)
Rosselkhoznadzor will meet with Chilean officials at the Global Fishery Forum to address "persistent grievances" over documentation and sanitary requirements, threatening a lucrative $230 million trade relationship.
MOSCOW - A high-level meeting is set to take place between Russian and Chilean veterinary and regulatory bodies to resolve a dispute threatening Chile's surging seafood exports to Russia. Representatives of Rosselkhoznadzor (Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance) and the Chilean Veterinary Service (expected to be the head of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Service, Sernapesca) will meet during the VIII Global Fishery Forum & Seafood Expo Russia in St. Petersburg from October 22–24.
 Sergei Dankvert, Director of Rosselkhoznadzor, confirmed the talks while speaking to journalists at the 27th Russian Agro-Industrial Exhibition "Golden Autumn." He stated that Konstantin Savenkov, his deputy, would lead the Russian delegation.
"We still have some grievances regarding Chile," noted Dankvert. "You know our position: we're slowly but surely persistently asking for our demands to be met. This is the custom in all countries."
Violations Threaten Massive Trade Growth
 The talks are the culmination of mounting concern from Russian regulators. On August 29, Rosselkhoznadzor formally requested that Chile's Sernapesca tighten export controls, citing products that do not meet Russian veterinary and sanitary requirements.
The core of the issue involves repeated violations related to documentation:
Rosselkhoznadzor previously warned Chile that if these violations were not addressed, it would be forced to impose restrictions on Chilean fishery supplies, with an initial deadline of September 20, 2025.
The Chilean seafood industry is taking the threat seriously. Major industry groups, including the Chile Salmon Council (representing over 50% of national production) and SalmonChile, have publicly stated they are working closely with authorities to resolve the situation, emphasizing the need to safeguard the important Russian market.
Russia: A Critical and Growing Market
The threatened restrictions pose a major risk to Chilean exporters, as the Russian market has experienced explosive growth this year.
According to data from the Fish Union Analytical Center based on Chilean customs figures, Russia's imports of fish and seafood from Chile in the first seven months of 2025 totaled 42,000 tons, valued at $230 million. This represents a sharp increase of 60% in volume and 90% in value compared to the same period in the previous year. Specifically, salmon exports, a key commodity, have seen shipments to Russia reach 26,666 metric tons, valued at $197 million, marking a 107% surge in value over 2024.
For the Chilean Salmon Council, which called Russia the country's fourth-largest destination market for salmon, a ban would have significant economic repercussions, particularly following the re-establishment of robust trade after a period of volatility following the start of the conflict in Ukraine.
This is not the first time the two countries have clashed over sanitary issues; in early 2020, Rosselkhoznadzor blocked products from several Chilean processing plants over claims of detecting prohibited substances, including antibiotics. The outcome of the October talks will determine whether this booming trade partnership continues or is severely curtailed.
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