Source:  Tom Johnston, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 6/9/09

Russian officials said late last week that Moscow has no immediate plans to lift bans on U.S. meat and poultry because Washington has yet to supply sufficient data, according to a report by Reuters.

"Unfortunately, the American side has not yet provided sufficient data," Sergei Dankvert, head of Rosselkhoznadzor, Russia's food safety watchdog, was quoted as saying.

Dankvert's comments came swiftly after U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, who visited Russia last week, expressed hopes that Moscow would soon scrap the bans, a move he noted would help the country's effort to join the World Trade Organization.  

Dankvert said Russia cannot decide until it receives the necessary documentation from the United States.

In its most recent round of action in the last week, Russia lifted a ban on fresh and frozen beef and poultry from California but maintained a ban on the state's fresh and frozen pork instituted amid the outbreak of H1N1 influenza. Meanwhile, Moscow banned fresh and frozen pork from Utah and halted imports of pork from two Tyson Foods' plants.

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