President Joe Biden announced Thursday that Russian-affiliated ships will be banned from entering U.S. ports due to the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
Vessels that are Russian-owned, flagged or operated will be prevented from coming into U.S. ports, Biden’s order said. Russian ships account for about 3% of traffic in American ports, according to Reuters.
The United States has announced today a Complete Ban on Russian-Owned and Operated Ships from Ports within the U.S joining Britain and Canada who both Banned Russian Ships last month, the E.U also announced a Port Ban this month but allows exceptions for Food and Energy Goods. pic.twitter.com/bQDhe16zew
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) April 21, 2022
The order will not ban the shipment of all Russian cargo through U.S. ports and was designed to minimize impact on already-strained supply chains, Reuters reported. Biden’s decision comes after similar bans were put into place by Canada and several European governments.
“That means no ship, no ship that sails under the Russian flag or that is owned or operated by a Russian entity, will be allowed to dock in a United States port or access our shores. None,” the president said Thursday, according to the outlet. He cited the ongoing “premeditated, unjustified, unprovoked and brutal” invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation as justification for the move. (RELATED: ‘Food For Thought’: Putin Tests Nuclear Missile, Warns Those Who ‘Threaten Our Country’)
The ship ban is only the latest sanction to hit Russia from the Biden administration since the war in Ukraine began. Russian aircraft are already banned from flying through American-controlled airspace, and the U.S. recently stopped the import of all Russian oil.