Russian Trade Hurdles

Russian Trade Hurdles. I’m Greg Martin with today’s Line On Agriculture.

The U.S. Meat Export Federation is disappointed but not giving up on U.S. efforts to reverse new Russian restrictions on imports of U. S. beef, pork and poultry.
Russia’s new requirements that U.S. beef and pork imports be tested and certified free of leanness-additive Ractopamine, come just days after Congressional action to lift cold-war era trade sanctions on Russia and reap benefits from Moscow’s joining the WTO. USMEF spokesman Joe Schoele.

SHOELE: Certainly this is disappointing. We are supporting our trade officials efforts to get this issue resolved to the satisfaction of both countries so that trade can resume as quickly as possible. It’s a very important market for both U.S. beef and pork.

Schoele says through September this year, the U.S. has exported some 242-million dollars worth of beef to Russia…209-million in pork.  Beef sales were expected to set a new record. But now, Schoele says the Russians may not let that happen.

SHOELE: As it played out right now it would be hard for us to make any further shipments to Russia because of the lack of U.S. companies ability to comply with this testing and certification requirement. Right now we don’t have any and method; any official method of complying with that requirement.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk called on Russia to suspend the new restrictions, and live up to its WTO commitment to abide by international meat safety standards.
Was the latest action by Moscow, retaliation for Congress’s move to add new human rights conditions on its latest Russia bill?

SHOELE: From USMEF’s standpoint we do not see any connection between this action and the so called Magnitsky Act. Other industry sources have made that connection but we don’t see any connection between the two issues. This is something that we’ve been going back and forth with Russia for quite some time.

Industry trade groups, including the National Pork Producers Council and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, refused comment or would not return calls.

That’s today’s Line On Agriculture. I’m Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.