July 19, 2010

US, Russia reach poultry export agreement

US and Russia has reached a trade agreement that ends a January 2010 chlorine-treated poultry ban, the USDA announced.

USDA has pledged to post web information about "which disinfectants/pathogen reductions treatments are known to be approved by Russia for use on processing poultry and on food generally" in exchange for lifting the ban. US officials will also provide (i) "information… on the solutions that companies use on poultry shipped to Russia," and (ii) "an updated list of poultry processing facilities authorised to ship poultry to Russia."

The accord came after 25 senators reportedly urged President Barack Obama to take up the issue with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. "I am pleased that after several months of negotiations, we have finally reached a breakthrough which will allow for US poultry exports to resume to this important market," stated US Trade Representative Ron Kirk, who estimated that in 2009, poultry exports to Russia reached US$767 million.