February 15, 2008

Russia grants access to beef shipments from five more US plants

Russia formally authorized Thursday the import of beef from five major US processors on strong domestic demand.

Processors who got the nod on February 14 were beef plants owned by JBS-Swift in Texas and Utah, Tyson Fresh Meats in Nebraska and National Beef Packing Co. in Kansas and California.

To-date, Russia has now approved of eight US beef packers this year, due to a growing demand in the local market.

In 2007, Russia's imports of red meat rose 8.2 percent.

Russia was the fifth largest consumer of US beef at the end of 2003, when it ceased imports due to the discovery of the first US case of mad cow disease.

A trade agreement signed in November 2006 technically provided access for both US boneless and bone-in beef, as well as beef variety meat.

However, it was only last year that US meatpackers sold beef to Russia, which was regarded as a major breakthrough by US industry leaders.