Russia will again buy US pork, but not poultry meat, since no agreement has been reached thus far on the latter issue. The main problem is the substances applied to the product so it wouldn't get spoilt. Americans insist these are harmless, but Russians think differently. But it is not impossible that Moscow will use the poultry meat issue in other economic controversies.
In early November 2009 Russia's Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance banned pork imports from 15 US providers since their meat products contained antibiotics that are banned in Russia. The three-month talks ended in an agreement whereby the US pledged to check pork quality and certify it in accordance with the Russian standards, while Russia said it would open the market to the US pig meat. The US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack says this is excellent news for US pork producers. After all, Russia accounts for 6% of US pork exports and is the US fifth-biggest meat consumer.
But no agreement has so far been reached on poultry meat imports. Russia imposed new sanitary requirements as of early this year, including the ban on the use of chlorine in poultry meat processing of higher than fresh water concentrations. But US experts claim that their products are harmless. The Deputy Director for the US and Canada Studies Victor Supyan says in an interview with the Voice of Russia that he sees no hidden motives in the contradiction.
Russian standards are indeed tougher than those of the US, Victor Supyan says. The same is true of genetically modified products. American officials claim that these are quite safe to consume, so people in the US are not worried about eating these products. But Russia's, as well as Europe's stand on genetically modified products is really tough. We believe those wishing to export food products to Russia should abide by our standards.
But it is not impossible that there are some more involved politico-economic considerations underlying the authorities' concerns about food products' safety, for instance the stalled issue of Russia joining the WTO. Russia may use the problem of poultry meat imports, which is important to the US, as a trump-card during the next round of talks on the issue. Accoridng to US officials, technical discussions are continuing and may last for another few weeks.
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