Trade tensions between Russia and the member countries of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) have intensified while the Russian army faces serious challenges in Ukraine. This union, which is supposed to promote free trade among five member countries, is actually facing serious obstacles due to Moscow's actions.
Trade Restrictions and Their Impact on Armenia
One of Russia's most notable actions was the imposition of various bans and trade barriers on Armenian goods in 2026. These restrictions are seen as retaliatory measures against Yerevan's rapprochement with the European Union. The economic pressures resulting from these actions have harmed key sectors of Armenia's economy. For instance, Russia's state natural gas supplier, Gazprom Armenia, suddenly cut off gas supply for 10 days.
Tensions Between Kazakhstan and Russia
In this context, reports indicate that Kazakhstan and Russia are also facing challenges in the automotive sector. In the first half of 2026, Kazakhstan imported cars worth $9.8 million from Russia, but since then imports have dropped to nearly zero. Kazakh officials have pointed out that the reason for this decline is the adjustment of "recycling" costs for imported vehicles by Russia in 2024. These new tariffs are recognized as a hidden tariff to protect the Russian automotive industry.
Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, announced in late 2025 that the increase in recycling costs "has created additional revenue for technology development and indirectly supports the domestic automotive industry".
Last December, the increase in Russian costs led to a 7 percent rise in the cost of imported cars from Kazakhstan. The Kazakh Minister of Industry, Yersin Nagaspaev, announced in March that Astana would take reciprocal action if the tariffs were not reconsidered. In May, Kazakh officials acted on this promise by introducing a reciprocal recycling tariff structure on Russian and Belarusian imports.
Recently, Kazakhstan has also banned the import of apples from foreign countries, including EAEU member states, to support domestic farmers. Kazakh officials have justified this action by citing Article 29 of the EAEU Treaty, which allows member countries to impose import bans under certain conditions.
