进口禁令之后俄罗斯努力替代国外产品

AS IT IS 2015-09-28 Russia Struggles to Replace Foods After Import Ban 进口禁令之后俄罗斯努力替代国外产品

Russia is working to replace foreign products with its own goods. The move is aimed at restricting imports from Western countries.

The policy resulted from Western nations putting trade limits on Russia because of its actions in Ukraine. The Russian government answered the sanctions by banning Western food. The ban is expected to help some countries, like China. But finding replacement¹ products for Russian technology is proving difficult.

Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev wants Russian industry to overtake foreign imports. But that is not easy to do while the country is in an economic recession.

Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich says it will take time before Russia can make all of its own products. 

He says the policy was only changed recently, and it is too early to talk about major results.

The lower quality of some Russian products is an issue. Mr. Medvedev stopped a plan that would have banned government payments for foreign-made medical devices. He was worried that health care would suffer.

Shvabe, a Russian company, has a British partner for developing technology. Ivan Ozhgihin is the company’s director.

He says “We came to know them 15 years ago. We made a joint² local product. There was no talk or sanctions or important replacement then.”

Russian officials say the ban on Western food is slowly helping³ the country learn to survive without foreign imports.

Alexander Sirotkin is with Russia’s Ministry⁴ of Agriculture.

He says he is sure that the country will soon change from working to replace imports to quickly developing the agriculture sector⁵ and its exports.

But the Russian economy is struggling. And the ban on Western food imports means Russians are eating food of lower quality.

Russia did not ban the import of food from China, however. Chinese officials say they are seeking to expand their sales in Russia.

Sun Yuejing is the director-general of the Department of Commerce in Shanxi province.

He says the ban is a good opportunity for both countries. He notes that they recently signed an agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union.

Words in This Story

overtake – v. to catch up with and pass something

sanctions – n. an action that is taken or an order that is given to force a country to obey international laws by limiting or stopping trade with that country, by not allowing economic aid for that country (usually plural)

sector – n. an area of an economy; a part of an economy that includes certain kinds of jobs

opportunity – n. a series of events that make it possible to do something

1 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

2 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

3 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

4 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

5 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。