February 24, 2010

US and Russia make progress in pork export talks

Efforts to resume US pork exports to Russia got a boost in mid-February due to face-to-face discussions in Moscow between US industry representatives and Russia's top veterinary officials.

US pork exports have been effectively shut down for several weeks, though some US facilities are still eligible to export pork to Russia.

Formal negotiations are continuing between the US and Russian governments, but the Moscow meeting provided an opportunity for the pork industry to voice its position on several key issues.

According to US Meat Export Federation (USMEF) senior vice-president Thad Lively, the two countries are close to finalising an agreement on a new pork health certificate which would remove one of the obstacles that has interrupted pork trade.

Lively also noted that the governments have also reached agreement on a new system, to be managed by USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, for approving US pork processing plants for export to Russia. He is also optimistic about gaining reinstatement for US plants that were delisted due to their failure to pass an audit conducted by Russia in late 2008.

Some US pork plants have also been delisted due to documentation errors discovered upon arrival of products shipped to Russia. Lively said recommendations for addressing documentation errors will be developed in coming weeks, and a proposal based on those recommendations will be presented to Russian officials.

Despite recent speculation that the US beef industry may lose access to Russia, Lively said no trade interruptions have surfaced to date with regard to beef exports.