March 30, 2005

Russian ministries seek to reduce beef import duty

Russia's Economic Development and Trade Ministry, Agriculture Ministry and the Central Bank of Russia plan to propose to the government that it reduce the over-quota import duty on beef to 40 percent from 60 percent, Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref told a press conference Tuesday, news agency Prime Tass reports.

No further details were provided.

Russia's imports of frozen and chilled red meat from outside the Commonwealth of Independent States, consisting mostly of beef and pork, increased 2.4 percent on the year to 878,200 tonnes in 2004.