Japan Adds to Russia Sanctions, Bans Import of Russian Diamonds

Japan levied a host of new sanctions on Russia, including a ban on the import of non-industrial Russian diamonds, the Ministry of Finance announced Dec. 15, according to an unofficial translation. The ministry said the import ban will be rolled out "at a later date."

Japan also added a range of new people and companies to its Russian sanctions regime, including various Russian oligarchs and military officials, state-backed research firms, military industrial manufacturing outlets and companies operating across key sectors, including electronics and communications. The ministry also announced that exports will be banned to 57 Russian entities and six Russian-linked entities in the United Arab Emirates, Syria, Uzbekistan and Armenia.