May 8, 2009
Russia to lift ban on Spanish pork imports
The Russian authorities have decided to lift a ban on Spanish pig and pork imports four days after imposing trade restrictions from countries affected by AH1N1, a senior Spanish government official said Thursday (May 7).
"We'll have to wait a couple of days to see a complete lift of the ban," said Carlos Escribano, head of Spain's Agricultural and Livestock Resources.
Escribano said at a press conference that Spanish pig and pork products manufactured before May 2 will have no import restrictions.
The import ban on products processed after May 2 will be lifted gradually, based on regions. Imports from Spanish regions reporting AH1N1 cases will see trade restrictions lifted based on health monitoring, he added.
Russia, which produces 1.7 million tonnes of pork products, imported last year some 110,000 tonnes of pork and pig products from Spain worth EUR147 million (US$196.4 million). The ban sparked local producer demands for government support.
