Agricultural News
Senators Want Trade Ambassador Ron Kirk to Tell Russia to Stop Blocking US Pork Imports
Mon, 20 Jun 2011 06:21:05 CDT
Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhoff has joined with Senators Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Ben Nelson of Nebraska and 25 other Senators in urging U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk to work to lift Russian trade barriers to U.S. pork products. Senator Grassley says Russia's unjustified position against U.S. pork has blocked products from plants that account for 60-percent of U.S. pork production capacity. He notes one of the issues Russia needs to address before joining the World Trade Organization is its unwarranted barriers to U.S. pork.
The Grassley-Nelson letter to United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk outlines two major barriers from Russia to U.S. pork. The first is Russia's unilateral lowering of the amount of U.S. pork it allows to be imported, cutting the previously agreed-upon amount by about half. The second is Russia's use of sanitary restrictions to limit U.S. pork exports to Russia. The Russian restrictions are not supported by science or valid risk assessments.
The letter urges the trade representative to work toward encouraging Russia to ease the unwarranted restrictions and abide by commitments as a precursor to joining the World Trade Organization. The United States was able to obtain commitments from China and Vietnam to overcome similar obstacles as part of those countries' accession to the World Trade Organization.
The letter urges the Trade Representative to work toward encouraging Russia to ease the unwarranted restrictions and abide by commitments as a precursor to joining the World Trade Organization.
Click here to read the full letter sent by the Senators to Ambassador Ron Kirk.
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