Russia Removes Texas, Washington from Beef Suspension

Russia Removes Texas, Washington from Beef Suspension

Russia has lifted its A-H1N1 influenza-related suspension of meat exports other than pork from the states of Texas and Washington, effective June 13. While these states remain ineligible to export pork, pork products and live hogs to Russia, this change in status is good news for Texas and Washington beef processors, as well as the cattle producers who rely on these facilities.

“We still have a long way to go before we have the movement of beef and pork to Russia that we know our industry could achieve if not for these trade barriers,” said Paul Clayton, USMEF senior vice president for export services. “But this at least represents some encouraging progress. Several beef facilities in Texas and Washington can now resume shipments to Russia, and that’s especially critical for beef livers and other products that don’t generate a lot of domestic demand.”

Russia’s influenza-related suspensions currently impact 13 states, but only Illinois and Wisconsin are now ineligible to export both beef and pork. Pork exports are ineligible from Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah.

Meat products from Delaware and South Carolina are now eligible for export to Russia, unless they were slaughtered or packaged on certain dates between May 3 and May 14. State-specific effective dates and other details on Russia’s suspensions can be found online.

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The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoff programs.

Russia Removes Texas, Washington from Beef Suspension

Russia has lifted its A-H1N1 influenza-related suspension of meat exports other than pork from the states of Texas and Washington, effective June 13. While these states remain ineligible to export pork, pork products and live hogs to Russia, this change in status is good news for Texas and Washington beef processors, as well as the cattle producers who rely on these facilities.

“We still have a long way to go before we have the movement of beef and pork to Russia that we know our industry could achieve if not for these trade barriers,” said Paul Clayton, USMEF senior vice president for export services. “But this at least represents some encouraging progress. Several beef facilities in Texas and Washington can now resume shipments to Russia, and that’s especially critical for beef livers and other products that don’t generate a lot of domestic demand.”

Russia’s influenza-related suspensions currently impact 13 states, but only Illinois and Wisconsin are now ineligible to export both beef and pork. Pork exports are ineligible from Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Utah.

Meat products from Delaware and South Carolina are now eligible for export to Russia, unless they were slaughtered or packaged on certain dates between May 3 and May 14. State-specific effective dates and other details on Russia’s suspensions can be found online.

# # #

The U.S. Meat Export Federation (www.USMEF.org) is the trade association responsible for developing international markets for the U.S. red meat industry and is funded by USDA, exporting companies, and the beef, pork, corn and soybean checkoff programs.