Japan has banned the export of motor oils and batteries to Russia

Japan has once again expanded sanctions against Russia, banning the export of motor oils and lithium-ion batteries, the Japanese Ministry of Economy reports.

Also subject to restrictions:

• yachts and other pleasure or sporting vessels, kayaks, canoes, light boats, fire boats, crane vessels, drilling or production platforms;
• optical equipment, photographic equipment;
• hand power tools;
• nickel hydride batteries;
• steel products;
• plastics and products made from them (nitrocellulose);
• inorganic chemicals and precious metals (hydrogen chloride, aluminum hydroxide);
• mineral fuels and oils and their distillates, bituminous substances and mineral waxes;
• tungsten powder and molybdenum, cobalt, zirconium and rhenium and products from them, etc.

In total, 164 categories of goods were subject to new export restrictions. Japan has also expanded import sanctions to include non-technical diamonds of Russian origin. The restrictions will come into force on May 10.

Western countries and their allies have already introduced dozens of packages of sanctions against Russia since the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine . Japan last imposed sanctions against Russia in early March. Then 36 Russian organizations were subject to restrictions, including FSUE Atomflot (a subsidiary of Rosatom), the Kalashnikov, Almaz-Antey, Uralvagonzavod and Basalt concerns, as well as the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) and State Transport Leasing Company (STLC).

Russia considers the restrictions imposed against it illegal. On March 20, the Foreign Ministry promised to give an adequate response to Tokyo’s sanctions policy.