USMEF Seeking Clarification on Russia, China Pork Suspensions
USMEF Seeking Clarification on Russia, China Pork Suspensions
As more H1N1 Influenza cases are confirmed across the United States, USMEF is working with U.S. and overseas trade officials to clarify the latest details on trade suspensions and market access.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are now reporting 141 confirmed cases in 19 U.S. states. For a complete list of these states and further details, visit the CDC Web site.
Several countries, including Russia and China, originally issued trade suspensions specific to the states reporting confirmed H1N1 influenza cases, or states along the southern tier of the nation. As more states are added to the CDC’s confirmed case list, this situation creates much confusion for exporters regarding product eligibility.
The following is the latest guidance on the specifics of Russia’s suspension, which includes all uncooked meat products from certain states, but for others it is limited to uncooked pork.
Russia:
- Effective date of slaughter April 21: suspension of all non-heat-treated meat — regardless of the species of origin — from animals raised or slaughtered in Texas, California, and New York.
- Effective date of slaughter April 25: suspension of non-heat-treated pork from animals raised or slaughtered in Arizona, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, and Ohio.
Additional notes:
- Documents from Russia define "heat-treated" as "80ºC for at least 30 minutes."
- Effective April 26, Russia also banned "passenger baggage" and catering materials from all species including heat-treated poultry meat, pork and beef from animals raised or slaughtered in the states of Texas, California, Ohio, New York, and Kansas. This ban is for passengers luggage and in-flight catering of aerial vehicles and sea vessels arriving from (or those that visited or landed in airports in) these states.
Russia has not prohibited transshipments through the suspended states, and has not yet extended the trade suspension language to include any states other than those listed above. However, because meat from animals raised or slaughtered in any of these states is included in the ban, it is unclear how successful any U.S. products will be in achieving eligibility for shipment to Russia. It is also very likely that products from states now on the confirmed case list may have difficulty making its way through trade channels. For these reasons, exporters are advised to proceed with extreme caution when shipping any meat products to Russia at this time. USMEF and U.S. trade officials are working to clarify the details of this situation in an effort to resume trade as quickly as possible, and we will report any progress as soon as details become available.
China, effective April 29
China’s trade suspension is limited to uncooked pork and pork products, and applies only to states with confirmed H1N1 cases. However, China has decreed that newly confirmed cases automatically move states to its suspension list and China currently prohibits transshipments through any of these states. This has already created major trade obstacles with regard to shipments routed through California, and these problems will intensify as more states are added to the confirmed-case list. Therefore, extreme caution is advised prior to shipping any pork products to China. It is important to note, however, that Hong Kong is not included in any portion of China’s suspension.
As with Russia, USMEF is working with U.S. trade officials to convince China of the lack of justification for this suspension. We are especially focused on the transshipment ban, because of the strangling effect it is having on the entire industry. Because China’s government is entering a holiday period, we are not optimistic that progress will occur in the next few days. We will provide updates, however, as soon as further information is available.
Other suspensions:
In addition to Russia and China, the following countries have officially imposed full or partial bans on U.S. pork imports:
Croatia, effective April 29:
Suspended imports of pork and pork products, but does not include cooked, canned or hermetically sealed products.
Ecuador, effective April 28:
Suspended pork and pork products regardless of slaughter date.
Honduras, effective April 24:
Suspension of all fresh pork products from the United States and Mexico. Cooked and processed pork meat allowed if cooked to 68ºC for 30 minutes or 71ºC for 3 minutes.
Indonesia, effective April 27:
Suspended imports of all pork and swine from outside its borders.
Kazakhstan, effective date April 28:
Suspended pork imports from Texas, California andKansas, but is expected to extend this ban to other affected states as well.
Serbia, currently effective:
U.S. pork and pork products are already listed as ineligible for export to Serbia due to a lack of certification requirements. So while no recent update has been made in these specifications, Serbia is being added to the official suspension list.
St. Lucia, effective date April 27:
Suspended import of fresh and frozen pork, live pigs and swine semen.
Thailand, effective April 27:
Suspension covers all U.S. states and Mexico, and covers all uncooked pork products including meat (fresh, chilled, and frozen), offals, live animal, semen, embryos, and hides and skins. However, the ban does not cover processed pork products such as canned foods or food in sealed containers. Product already on the water should not be affected, but any product shipped after April 27 will not be allowed entry.
Ukraine, effective date April 21:
Suspended import of pork, live pigs and products from the entire United States.
Other products of animal origin can be imported under existing regulations if these are accompanied by valid health certificates.
United Arab Emirates, effective April 27:
Suspended pork from several countries, including the United States. It remains unclear whether transshipments will be allowed.
USMEF is also compiling a “watch list” of countries that have been reported as ready to impose full or partial suspensions, but for which trade has not been officially suspended. It includes the following:
Albania: some importers have refused pork shipments in anticipation of a ban.
Bahrain: pork from the United States.
Colombia: pork from the United States.
Dominican Republic: an announcement was made that pork and live pigs from the United States had been suspended, but that status is now unclear. Seeking further updates on this market.
El Salvador: pork and live pigs from the United States and Mexico.
Ghana: pork and pork products from the United States and Mexico.
Jordan: all meat from the United States and Mexico.
KurdistanRegion, Iraq:import of U.S. pork.
Lebanon: all pork and live pigs from outside its borders.
Malaysia: pork from several countries, including the United States.
Nicaragua: pork and live pigs from the United States.
Philippines: all pork from the entire United States and Mexico.
The following countries have not imposed trade restrictions and are not expected to do so, but may have appeared in news reports regarding import bans:
Bolivia: no suspension of U.S. products, despite previously announced intentions.
Costa Rica: increased monitoring of pork imports, but no suspension of U.S. products.
Guatemala: no suspension of U.S. products, despite previously announced intentions.
South Korea: Korea has issued no trade suspensions for pork imports, but has increased screening and inspection of pork from the United States and Mexico, and has suspended imports only of live swine from North America.
Additional market information:
USMEF is receiving mixed reports in markets that remain open for pork trade. In Japan, government efforts to educate the public about the safety of pork have been extremely helpful to USMEF’s efforts to reassure importers, retailers and foodservice representatives about the safety and reliability of the U.S. pork supply. Similar reports have been received from other Asian markets including South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. In all of these markets, USMEF is working to keep all lines of industry communication open and maintain a strong level of pork demand. While some level of consumer pullback was apparent earlier this week, further guidance and education about the H1N1 virus is helping to restore confidence in the safety of pork.
With regard to Mexico, serious economic disruption continues, including a shutdown of all non-essential business activity until May 6. This will obviously curtail most demand in the foodservice sector and disruptive retail activity as well. USMEF is mindful of the tremendous importance of this market for both U.S. pork and U.S. beef, and is laying the groundwork to position both products for a strong recovery as Mexico’s economic activity moves back toward its normal pace.
Additional note with regard to Mexico:
Despite closure of most government and business offices until May 6, OISA and customs inspectors will continue to work the following hours:
May 1: 0800-1400 hours
May 4: 0800-1900 hours (normal work hours)
May 5: 0800-1900 hours (normal work hours)
Members seeking further updates or having specific trade questions may contact USMEF at 303-623-6328 or visit www.usmef.org.
# # #
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.
USMEF Seeking Clarification on Russia, China Pork Suspensions
As more H1N1 Influenza cases are confirmed across the United States, USMEF is working with U.S. and overseas trade officials to clarify the latest details on trade suspensions and market access.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are now reporting 141 confirmed cases in 19 U.S. states. For a complete list of these states and further details, visit the CDC Web site.
Several countries, including Russia and China, originally issued trade suspensions specific to the states reporting confirmed H1N1 influenza cases, or states along the southern tier of the nation. As more states are added to the CDC’s confirmed case list, this situation creates much confusion for exporters regarding product eligibility.
The following is the latest guidance on the specifics of Russia’s suspension, which includes all uncooked meat products from certain states, but for others it is limited to uncooked pork.
Russia:
- Effective date of slaughter April 21: suspension of all non-heat-treated meat — regardless of the species of origin — from animals raised or slaughtered in Texas, California, and New York.
- Effective date of slaughter April 25: suspension of non-heat-treated pork from animals raised or slaughtered in Arizona, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, and Ohio.
Additional notes:
- Documents from Russia define "heat-treated" as "80ºC for at least 30 minutes."
- Effective April 26, Russia also banned "passenger baggage" and catering materials from all species including heat-treated poultry meat, pork and beef from animals raised or slaughtered in the states of Texas, California, Ohio, New York, and Kansas. This ban is for passengers luggage and in-flight catering of aerial vehicles and sea vessels arriving from (or those that visited or landed in airports in) these states.
Russia has not prohibited transshipments through the suspended states, and has not yet extended the trade suspension language to include any states other than those listed above. However, because meat from animals raised or slaughtered in any of these states is included in the ban, it is unclear how successful any U.S. products will be in achieving eligibility for shipment to Russia. It is also very likely that products from states now on the confirmed case list may have difficulty making its way through trade channels. For these reasons, exporters are advised to proceed with extreme caution when shipping any meat products to Russia at this time. USMEF and U.S. trade officials are working to clarify the details of this situation in an effort to resume trade as quickly as possible, and we will report any progress as soon as details become available.
China, effective April 29
China’s trade suspension is limited to uncooked pork and pork products, and applies only to states with confirmed H1N1 cases. However, China has decreed that newly confirmed cases automatically move states to its suspension list and China currently prohibits transshipments through any of these states. This has already created major trade obstacles with regard to shipments routed through California, and these problems will intensify as more states are added to the confirmed-case list. Therefore, extreme caution is advised prior to shipping any pork products to China. It is important to note, however, that Hong Kong is not included in any portion of China’s suspension.
As with Russia, USMEF is working with U.S. trade officials to convince China of the lack of justification for this suspension. We are especially focused on the transshipment ban, because of the strangling effect it is having on the entire industry. Because China’s government is entering a holiday period, we are not optimistic that progress will occur in the next few days. We will provide updates, however, as soon as further information is available.
Other suspensions:
In addition to Russia and China, the following countries have officially imposed full or partial bans on U.S. pork imports:
Croatia, effective April 29:
Suspended imports of pork and pork products, but does not include cooked, canned or hermetically sealed products.
Ecuador, effective April 28:
Suspended pork and pork products regardless of slaughter date.
Honduras, effective April 24:
Suspension of all fresh pork products from the United States and Mexico. Cooked and processed pork meat allowed if cooked to 68ºC for 30 minutes or 71ºC for 3 minutes.
Indonesia, effective April 27:
Suspended imports of all pork and swine from outside its borders.
Kazakhstan, effective date April 28:
Suspended pork imports from Texas, California andKansas, but is expected to extend this ban to other affected states as well.
Serbia, currently effective:
U.S. pork and pork products are already listed as ineligible for export to Serbia due to a lack of certification requirements. So while no recent update has been made in these specifications, Serbia is being added to the official suspension list.
St. Lucia, effective date April 27:
Suspended import of fresh and frozen pork, live pigs and swine semen.
Thailand, effective April 27:
Suspension covers all U.S. states and Mexico, and covers all uncooked pork products including meat (fresh, chilled, and frozen), offals, live animal, semen, embryos, and hides and skins. However, the ban does not cover processed pork products such as canned foods or food in sealed containers. Product already on the water should not be affected, but any product shipped after April 27 will not be allowed entry.
Ukraine, effective date April 21:
Suspended import of pork, live pigs and products from the entire United States.
Other products of animal origin can be imported under existing regulations if these are accompanied by valid health certificates.
United Arab Emirates, effective April 27:
Suspended pork from several countries, including the United States. It remains unclear whether transshipments will be allowed.
USMEF is also compiling a “watch list” of countries that have been reported as ready to impose full or partial suspensions, but for which trade has not been officially suspended. It includes the following:
Albania: some importers have refused pork shipments in anticipation of a ban.
Bahrain: pork from the United States.
Colombia: pork from the United States.
Dominican Republic: an announcement was made that pork and live pigs from the United States had been suspended, but that status is now unclear. Seeking further updates on this market.
El Salvador: pork and live pigs from the United States and Mexico.
Ghana: pork and pork products from the United States and Mexico.
Jordan: all meat from the United States and Mexico.
KurdistanRegion, Iraq:import of U.S. pork.
Lebanon: all pork and live pigs from outside its borders.
Malaysia: pork from several countries, including the United States.
Nicaragua: pork and live pigs from the United States.
Philippines: all pork from the entire United States and Mexico.
The following countries have not imposed trade restrictions and are not expected to do so, but may have appeared in news reports regarding import bans:
Bolivia: no suspension of U.S. products, despite previously announced intentions.
Costa Rica: increased monitoring of pork imports, but no suspension of U.S. products.
Guatemala: no suspension of U.S. products, despite previously announced intentions.
South Korea: Korea has issued no trade suspensions for pork imports, but has increased screening and inspection of pork from the United States and Mexico, and has suspended imports only of live swine from North America.
Additional market information:
USMEF is receiving mixed reports in markets that remain open for pork trade. In Japan, government efforts to educate the public about the safety of pork have been extremely helpful to USMEF’s efforts to reassure importers, retailers and foodservice representatives about the safety and reliability of the U.S. pork supply. Similar reports have been received from other Asian markets including South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong. In all of these markets, USMEF is working to keep all lines of industry communication open and maintain a strong level of pork demand. While some level of consumer pullback was apparent earlier this week, further guidance and education about the H1N1 virus is helping to restore confidence in the safety of pork.
With regard to Mexico, serious economic disruption continues, including a shutdown of all non-essential business activity until May 6. This will obviously curtail most demand in the foodservice sector and disruptive retail activity as well. USMEF is mindful of the tremendous importance of this market for both U.S. pork and U.S. beef, and is laying the groundwork to position both products for a strong recovery as Mexico’s economic activity moves back toward its normal pace.
Additional note with regard to Mexico:
Despite closure of most government and business offices until May 6, OISA and customs inspectors will continue to work the following hours:
May 1: 0800-1400 hours
May 4: 0800-1900 hours (normal work hours)
May 5: 0800-1900 hours (normal work hours)
Members seeking further updates or having specific trade questions may contact USMEF at 303-623-6328 or visit www.usmef.org.
# # #
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.