Industry News

Russia Imposes Ban on Meat Imports from the United States

February 11, 2013


On February 11, 2013, United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ron Kirk and Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack released a statement noting disappointment with Russia’s decision to suspend all imports of U.S. meat and calling on Russia to restore access for U.S. meat and meat products immediately. Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance announced last December that it would require foreign governments to provide documents certifying that exports of beef and pork were free of ractopamine, a feed additive. Following the United States’ refusal to agree to such certification requirements, Russia issued a ban, effective February 11, 2013, that prohibits imports of all U.S. beef, pork, turkey and other meat products by requiring a zero tolerance for the presence of ractopamine.

Russian officials justified the ban by calling ractopamine unsafe; however U.S. Officials argue that ractopamine is safe at levels established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the United Nation’s Codex Alimentarius Commission. Ambassador Kirk and Secretary Vilsack contend that “Russia has disregarded the extensive and expert scientific studies conducted by the international food safety standards body, the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), which has repeatedly concluded that animal feed containing the additive ractopamine is completely safe for livestock and for humans that consume their meat.” They further called on Russia to abide by its World Trade Organization Obligations.

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