News
Russia may halt U.S. beef and pork imports
Just one day after the Senate passed Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) for Russia comes news Moscow may cut-off U.S. pork and beef imports on Saturday. Russia wants the meat tested for and certified free of the feed additive ractopamine. Reuters reports the U.S. Meat Export Federation sent an email out to members stating that since the U.S. does not have such a testing program in place, “this new requirement effectively means that the Russian market will be closed to pork and beef exports beginning this Saturday.”
U.S. ag trade negotiator Isi Siddiqui is scheduled to travel to Moscow next week to try to convince the Russians to postpone implementation of the requirement. More than $20 million in U.S. beef and pork is currently on its way to Russia.
Ractopamine is used to promote leanness in hogs and cattle.
The PNTR passed by the Senate Thursday includes a provision regarding human rights policy in Russia, Moscow says if that is included in the bill when the President signs it, they would retaliate.
Tags: Cattle/Beef, Commodities, Consumer Issues, Exports, Hogs/Pork, USDA
What do human rights have to do with animals fed diet drugs? Is this a “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” negotiation? Shouldn’t someone have checked to make sure their delivery would be accepted before shipping off $20 million dollars in product? WTF US, just let the damn animals eat what they are supposed to eat and stop cramming drugs down every throat you can! BTW: I am a US citizen.