March 15, 2007

Russia threatens to ban Brazilian meat imports
 

Russia may ban meat imports from Brazil if the Latin American country does not take urgent measures to prevent sales of meat from states on the banned list to Russia, Russia's agricultural watchdog said on Wednesday (March 14).

Sergei Dankvert chief of Rosselkhoznadzor decline to say when the restrictions might be imposed, adding it will depend on the immediate action of Brazilian authorities on the matter.

He said he informed Brazilian diplomats earlier on March 15 that Rosselkhoznadzor had prevented several shipments of Brazilian meat with forged veterinary certificates being smuggled into Russia from states affected with animal diseases.

Dankvert also said Russia was not happy with Brazil's veterinary control over the situation with some states, such as Rio Grande do Sul, where it was suspected to have a major outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease.

Dankvert said Russia is also considering transferring its veterinary inspectors currently working in Brazil to Uruguay, Argentina, or Paraguay, as they are unable to reach some locations in the country where Russian meat imports were loaded for shipping.

Rosselkhoznadzor said that imports of Brazilian red and poultry meat were estimated between 800,000 and 1 million tonnes annually in the last few years.