Packaging / Advertising & Office

Swedish media reported on June 9 that the Swedish packaging giant Tetra Pak’s request to the EU for sanctions exemption against Russia was rejected, and the Swiss government suspended Tetra Pak’s exports to Russia. Tetra Pak said its products were exported for humanitarian aid, but the Swedish Trade and Investment Council said that reason was not valid.

Despite EU sanctions on Russia, many Swedish companies are demanding continued exports or the removal of frozen assets. Among them, Tetra Pak's annual sales in Russia accounted for 4% of its global annual sales, which exceeded 4 billion crowns last year. Tetra Pak, whose factories in Russia provide packaging for 70 percent of the country's milk and juice drinks, asked for a trade exemption to be able to provide "humanitarian aid in the form of food" to children.

Tetra Pak told the Swedish Trade and Investment Council that the suspension of exports will have the opposite effect of the purpose of the sanctions, that is, the existing business in Russia will be taken over by the Russian government and acquire technologies that they do not currently possess.