Canada expands Russia sanctions, adds people and ships

Summary#

These are final amendments to the Special Economic Measures (Russia) Regulations that expand Canada’s sanctions related to Russia’s war against Ukraine. They add people, companies and ships to the sanctions lists, remove a 90‑day deadline for delisting reviews, and undo a previous ban on certain plastic containers used to ship animal semen. The amendments came into force on June 12, 2026 (published in the Canada Gazette on July 1, 2026).

What it does#

• Adds 7 individuals to the list of sanctioned people (described as including a senior person linked to Russia’s nuclear energy sector and leadership connected to drone and technology supply, and a cryptocurrency exchange director).
• Adds 34 entities, including firms tied to Russia’s defence-industrial base, drone production, nuclear energy, and finance/sanctions‑evasion networks.
• Adds 121 vessels to the list used to identify ships involved in the “shadow fleet” that move oil, LNG and other sanctioned goods.
• Repeals subsections 8(3) and 8(4) of the Regulations. This removes the rule that required the Minister to decide on a delisting application within 90 days and to notify the applicant “without delay,” allowing more time for review.
• Repeals item 197 of the Regulations, which had banned certain plastic bottles and containers often used to ship animal semen. That repeal allows continued export of animal semen containers tied to food production.
• Makes a number of technical and clarifying edits: changes to schedule headings, updates to tariff and commodity codes, spelling/text corrections, and other non-substantive adjustments.
• Confirms who the prohibitions apply to: any person in Canada or any Canadian outside Canada is generally prohibited from dealing with listed people, entities or vessels unless a specific permit or exception applies.
• Reinforces legal consequences for breaking the rules: on summary conviction, a fine of up to $25,000 or imprisonment of up to one year (or both); on indictment, imprisonment of up to five years.

Who's affected#

• The added individuals, companies and ships (they will face Canadian prohibitions and be listed publicly).
• Canadian and foreign banks and financial institutions — they must update screening systems to block transactions with newly listed people and entities.
• Shipping-related businesses (insurance, technical services, ship suppliers) — they must screen against the newly listed vessels to avoid prohibited dealings.
• Agricultural exporters that ship animal semen — they are likely helped by the repeal of item 197 because containers used for that trade are no longer banned.
• Government agencies that enforce sanctions, including Global Affairs Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, which will update systems and processes to reflect the changes.
• Anyone in Canada or Canadians abroad who deals with listed persons or vessels (they could face criminal penalties and restrictions).
• Listed individuals will be made inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).

Why it matters#

• The measures aim to increase economic pressure on Russia by targeting people, companies and shipping used to fund or enable the war in Ukraine. That can reduce those actors’ ability to do business with Canadians or use Canadian services.
• Adding specific vessels to the list makes it easier for Canadian ports and enforcement agencies to deny docking or passage to ships tied to sanction evasion.
• Repealing the container ban for animal semen prevents an unintended hit to Canadian agricultural exports and global food‑security links.
• Removing the strict 90‑day deadline for delisting reviews gives officials more time for careful checks and consultations when someone asks to be removed from the sanctions list. This can slow individual delisting decisions but aims to improve the quality of those decisions.
• For ordinary people and most businesses in Canada the changes are mostly about updating screening and compliance systems; direct impacts are expected to be limited because most newly listed actors appear to have little connection to Canadian commerce (according to the regulatory statement).