Russia slashes meat import quotas for 2010

Russia will cut quotas on poultry and pork imports in 2010, the newly formed Customs Union between Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan said yesterday (December 1).

Russia's pork imports will amount to 500,000 tonnes in 2010 compared to 650,000 tonnes this year. Poultry meat and offal quotas next year will amount to 780,000 tonnes compared to 952,000 tonnes in 2009. Frozen beef quota is set at the level of 530,000 tonnes while fresh beef - 30,000 tonnes.

Deputy Minister of Economic Development Andrei Slepnev said importers who did not use quotas on meat imports to Russia this year will not receive them in 2010. .

Slepnev also said the increase of the local meat output was the main reason of the quotas reduction. At the same time the duty on over-quota beef imports will be increased and Russia will also increase beef imports at a discounted rate next year.

According to Slepnev, Russia will consider the possibility of selling part of quotas through the auction until 2010. Auctions can be launched in 2011.

Belarus pork import quota for 2010 is set at 30,000 tonnes. Kazakhstan's poultry import quota is set at 110,000 tonnes and pork import quota at 7,400 tonnes.