September 9, 2008

Russia's chief sanitary official said on Monday (September 8, 2008) that US poultry producers have to improve their production practices if they want to export to Russia.

Russia has banned poultry imports from 19 US producers, citing a lack of compliance with sanitary standards.

Health official Gennady Onishchenko said they have banned poultry produced with the technology of disinfection with chlorine.

Calling the practice outdated, Onishchenko said only the oldest factories in Russia use that technology while the US applies it at advanced farms.

Russia imports about 1.2 million tonnes of poultry annually, with the US accounting for 870,000 tonnes.

Onishchenko said Russia will not boycott US poultry but the US needs to change their production technology.

Onishchenko also warned the US not to use agreements within the WTO against them, as Russia has not yet entered the global trade body.