National leaders are voicing their concerns over Russia’s new requirement that U.S. beef and pork exports to Russia be tested and certified free of the feed additive ractopamine.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk issued a joint statement citing that the U.S. is very concerned that Russia took the action it did, which they say appears to be inconsistent with Russia’s obligations as a member of the World Trade Organization.
“The United States calls on Russia to suspend these new measures and restore market access for U.S. beef and pork products. The United States sought, and Russia committed as part of its WTO accession package, to ensure that it adhered rigorously to WTO requirements and that it would use international standards unless it had a risk assessment to justify use of a more stringent standard. Especially in light of its commitment to use international standards, this is an important opportunity for Russia to demonstrate that it takes its WTO commitments seriously,” they said.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Senate approved Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) with Russia. The move, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation, provides American farmers and ranchers with more certain and predictable market access as a result of Russia’s commitment not to raise tariffs above the negotiated rates. The move also requires adherence to international food safety standards in a transparent and uniform measure.
The legislation that will grant PNTR to Russia has been approved by both the House and the Senate and has been sent to President Obama for his final approval.