Biden administration curbs Russian access to foreign fertilizers and valves

The Biden administration on Friday broadened its export curbs against Russia and Belarus, restricting access to imports of items such as fertilizer and pipe valves as it seeks to ratchet up pressure on Moscow and Minsk. In a posting to the federal register on Friday, the Commerce Department said it would begin requiring Russians and Belarusians to get a special license when seeking to obtain a host of goods from U.S. suppliers and pledged to deny those licenses.

The Biden administration on Friday broadened its export curbs against Russia and Belarus, restricting access to imports of items such as fertilizer and pipe valves as it seeks to ratchet up pressure on Moscow and Minsk.

In a posting to the federal register on Friday, the Commerce Department said it would begin requiring Russians and Belarusians to get a special license when seeking to obtain a host of goods from U.S. suppliers and pledged to deny those licenses. The goods include fertilizer, pipe valves, ball bearings and other parts, materials and chemicals. The administration also said those items made abroad with U.S. tools would also require a U.S. license, which the administration plans to deny.