Veneman, Zoellick See No Reason for Russian Ban

March 4, 2002

Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman and United States Trade Representative Robert B. Zoellick find "no reason whatsoever" for Russia to issue a ban on U.S. poultry imports. "U.S. poultry and poultry product exports meet the highest safety standards in the world. We have been cooperating fully and promptly with Russian authorities in meeting information requests," they said in a statement.

"Our trading relations with Russia are important to the United States. An unjustified ban on 20% of our overall exports to Russia would be extremely damaging. We will work closely with Russian officials for continuance of trade based on fair and scientifically based standards." Zoellick Friday called in Russia's ambassador to the United States, Yuri Ushakov, to urge a quick resumption of U.S. exports. Veneman also was to meet with Ushakov. In addition, the United States ambassador to Russia met with senior Russian authorities to express strong U.S. concern over Russia's action.

USDA and USTR plan to send a team of experts to Moscow this week to effect a resumption of trade. One half of all U.S. poultry and poultry product export sales worldwide are to the Russian market. Poultry exports comprise 20 percent of total U.S. exports to Russia.

The National Chicken Council and the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council said if a Russian embargo on U.S. poultry products goes into effect and is not corrected soon, "a significant adverse impact on the U.S. poultry industry and on American agriculture in general" can be expected. "We hope that wiser heads will prevail and the embargo will be lifted. "

In 2001, Russian importers bought a little more than 1 million metric tons of U.S. chicken, which was 38% of total U.S. chicken exports and about 8% of total U.S. production.