“Bowing to U.S. sanctions, Apple has decided to end sales of its products in Crimea in move likely to deepen the region’s already record inflation, news agency RIA Novosti reported Thursday,” The St. Petersburg Times reports.
“U.S. sanctions over Russia’s annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in March mean retailers may not ‘sell Apple products or provide services related to Apple products,’ the U.S. technology giant said in an e-mail published on the Twitter page of Eldar Murtazin, editor-in-chief of Russian tech site Mobile-Review,” The St. Petersburg Times reports. “The ban will begin on Feb.1.”
“Murtazin told RIA Novosti that retailers would likely evade the restrictions by buying Apple products from middlemen for resale in Crimea, a move bound to increase the final sale price,” The St. Petersburg Times reports. “High markups are becoming a chronic problem in Crimea, which is beset by Ukrainian and Western sanctions. The region’s economy was integrated with Ukraine before Russia’s land grab. Ukrainian suppliers now charge extra to ship goods over the new border, and the peninsula still has no overland link with Russia. Inflation in the region hit 42.6 percent last year.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Glenn Holland” for the heads up.]
Related article:
Apple sends out termination notices to developers in Crimea following Obama executive order on sanctions – January 18, 2015
Wait until you read about the iOS 8 “”CRISIS””
New Bug … Good Grief.
I travel the world quite a bit. Yes… the USA is crazy, absolutely nuts in so many ways… However, when I return back home, I always find myself grateful to be living in the USA.
That’s what everyone says when they return home. Not just us citizens. The U.S. isn’t all that special. Especially when you consider the absolutely barbaric police force. What, another black shot to death yesterday I hear?
Reconciling paradox. Living with the imperfect. Difficult. Necessary. Always a compromise.. Choose your battles wisely.
Marko, anyone returning home feels grateful. The operative factor is “at home” and not specifically the USA.
When one begins to boycott for one reason or another, a VERY clear purpose should drive it. There are soooo many shadess of gray, that beginning in one area will bring on a plethora of pundits for supporting their agenda. A never ending spiral.
I am not saying not to do this, but purpose and direction should be very clear and specific.
For instance, in compliance to the US ban is fine except when on the other hand in defiance of the US government on back door spy request.
I stand with Apple on both, but it is entering into a political arena that it might not want. Clarity, Clarity!
“There are soooo many shadess of gray..”
I read there’s only 55.
As nearly any ban, this one is counter productive. If anything, it only gives power to Putin as he will now propagandise himself under “You see what they are doing? Unite behind my leadership!” premise.
If mean the government is really against Putin, then this move is nonsensical. But, of course, they are not; it is just stupid political games for PR.
One forgets that the ban is a result of a coöperation agreement between the USA, Japan and the EU. There us no way that the US government is wholly responsible for this ban.