Pernod Ricard has confirmed that it has stopped all exports of its international brands to Russia, as of the end of April 2023.
In a statement made on the Pernod website, the drinks giant said that it will cease the distribution of its portfolio in Russia, with the company expecting this to take some months to complete.
“We are assessing how to adapt our local organisation in light of these decisions while fully complying with all local legal regulations,” the statement said.
It continued: “Since the outbreak of the war, our guiding principle has been the welfare of our teams wherever they are based, and we will continue to support our local employees during this process”.
The news marks a further retreat after it announced in April that it would suspend exports of its Absolut vodka to Russia, with immediate effect. The decision followed criticism in Sweden, where the vodka is made, after some exports to Russia had been resumed.
Absolut Company’s CEO, Stephanie Durroux, said that since March 2022 – when the French company halted operations of all its products to Russia – activity in the country had been “strongly reduced, and marketing investments have been stopped”.
According to Reuters, a spokesperson for Pernod Ricard said the company would keep a “limited team” in Russia to eventually resume business in the future. Downsizing local operations would result in the loss of around 300 jobs in the country.
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