November 21, 2006

US beef returns to Russia

A bilateral trade agreement signed between US and Russia officially ends Russia's BSE-related ban on US beef.

The ban had been in force for nearly three years following symptoms of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad-cow disease in US beef.

Russia was a huge export market for US cattle producers prior to the December 2003 ban, said Ed Blair, chairman of the beef industry's Joint International Markets Committee.

Russia, as part of a larger agreement to secure US approval for Russia's accession into the World Trade Organisation, agreed to buy boneless, bone-in and beef by-products so long as the product comes from cattle under 30 months old..