Audio: Working to Resolve the Meat Trade Impasse with Russia
Published: Apr 29, 2013
00:00 / 00:00
You may download the audio file here
Last year was the best ever for U.S. beef exports to Russia ($307 million), and a very strong year for U.S. pork exports ($282 million). But trade slowed dramatically toward the end of 2012, as Russia stepped up enforcement of its zero-tolerance policy for residues of the livestock feed additive ractopamine. Despite diplomatic efforts to address this issue, the Russian market formally closed to U.S. pork and beef on February 11.
Thad Lively, USMEF senior vice president for trade access, explains that USDA officials have been working closely with the U.S. pork and beef industries in recent weeks to develop a plan for resuming exports to this important market. Great care had to be taken, however, to ensure that the proposed program was feasible and economically viable before it was presented to Russian veterinary officials. Though some final details must still be worked out, Lively expects this process to move forward soon.
TRANSCRIPT
JOE SCHUELE: After a very strong performance in 2012, U.S. pork and beef exports to Russia recently came to a halt. In this U.S. Meat Export Federation report, Thad Lively, USMEF senior vice president for trade access, explains the reason behind the impasse.
THAD LIVELY: Since February 11, U.S. beef and pork have been banned by Russia. The reason that they give is that they have a zero-tolerance policy on the presence of residues of ractopamine in beef and pork. Although that position has been in place and on the books for some time, they really only started enforcing it last fall. So their position is that because the U.S. government did not come forward with a program for shipping products from animals that hadn't been fed ractopamine and other countries had produced similar programs, for that reason we're going to close the market.
JOE SCHUELE: Lively says USDA has been working closely with the industry to find a solution, and explains the next steps.
THAD LIVELY: Russia is an important market - the industry is not prepared to simply write this market off. Basically the approach that the industry has taken with USDA is has been on developing a program that will meet the Russian requirements. So a lot of work's gone into that in the last few months since the market closed. We are comfortable that the program that USDA has developed - with a great deal of input from the beef and pork industries, will satisfy Russia's requirement and is workable within existing production practices in the United States. So the next step here obviously is for USDA to present the elements of this program to the Russian vets and then take the process forward.
JOE SCHUELE: For more on this and other trade issues, please visit usmef.org. For the U.S. Meat Export Federation, I’m Joe Schuele.
Thad Lively, USMEF senior vice president for trade access, explains that USDA officials have been working closely with the U.S. pork and beef industries in recent weeks to develop a plan for resuming exports to this important market. Great care had to be taken, however, to ensure that the proposed program was feasible and economically viable before it was presented to Russian veterinary officials. Though some final details must still be worked out, Lively expects this process to move forward soon.
TRANSCRIPT
JOE SCHUELE: After a very strong performance in 2012, U.S. pork and beef exports to Russia recently came to a halt. In this U.S. Meat Export Federation report, Thad Lively, USMEF senior vice president for trade access, explains the reason behind the impasse.
THAD LIVELY: Since February 11, U.S. beef and pork have been banned by Russia. The reason that they give is that they have a zero-tolerance policy on the presence of residues of ractopamine in beef and pork. Although that position has been in place and on the books for some time, they really only started enforcing it last fall. So their position is that because the U.S. government did not come forward with a program for shipping products from animals that hadn't been fed ractopamine and other countries had produced similar programs, for that reason we're going to close the market.
JOE SCHUELE: Lively says USDA has been working closely with the industry to find a solution, and explains the next steps.
THAD LIVELY: Russia is an important market - the industry is not prepared to simply write this market off. Basically the approach that the industry has taken with USDA is has been on developing a program that will meet the Russian requirements. So a lot of work's gone into that in the last few months since the market closed. We are comfortable that the program that USDA has developed - with a great deal of input from the beef and pork industries, will satisfy Russia's requirement and is workable within existing production practices in the United States. So the next step here obviously is for USDA to present the elements of this program to the Russian vets and then take the process forward.
JOE SCHUELE: For more on this and other trade issues, please visit usmef.org. For the U.S. Meat Export Federation, I’m Joe Schuele.