OREANDA-NEWS. September 18, 2014. The constant flow of people bringing goods in small quantities from Russia to Estonia has reversed, as Russians living near the Estonian border have began shopping here after the sanctions.

Shoppers buying food are not only buying in Narva, right on the border with Russia, for the tax return. But the choice of food is also far better and prices lower, Eesti Paevaleht reported from Narva on Tuesday.

The Russian food import ban is restricted for commercial imports, although certain restrictions also apply for individuals importing food for their own use.

The daily talked to a number of Russians shopping in Narva, with most saying they are shopping in Estonia as prices are far cheaper, many also buy organic foods, less widely available in Russia. Foreign alcohol is also popular, as are goods not affected by sanctions, such as cloths and diapers.

Local officials say the general trend in Estonia is of fewer Russian tourists who are buying less as the ruble weakens, but that trend is in reverse in Narva as a dozen or more companies offer transport from St. Petersburg right to the border.