Custom Union may impede US meat exports to Eastern Europe

The recently established Customs Union of Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan has sparked fear in the US that it will further tighten the phytosanitary requirements of US meats.

According to a recent report published by the US government along with the EU, the US remains unhappy with the current technical and veterinarian requirements for meat products established by Russia.

Russia claims that foreign agricultural products do not always rely on science and are inconsistent with international recommendations and standards. This has led to stricter food safety regulations being imposed on US meat and poultry lately, adversely impacting US exports as a result, the report says.

The US government warns that the new Customs Union may "further complicate the situation" due to the commitments of its members to establish common phytosanitary standards.

Last year, US meat exports to Russia fell sharply mainly due to strict veterinary standards. The country, however, plans to offset all the losses this year.