The first shipments of U.S. pork to Russia since a trade agreement was reached earlier this month should be shipped within a week's time, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Tuesday.
USDA officials confirmed on March 5 that U.S. and Russian negotiators agreed to new rules for U.S. pork exporters that wanted to sell products to Russian buyers. Those new rules require U.S. exporters to show that their meat is free of antibiotics that Russia has prohibited.
A list of U.S. pork production plants now eligible to ship to Russia, last updated by USDA on March 12, contains 10 facilities owned by Smithfield Foods Inc. (SFD), Tyson Foods Inc. (TSN), John Morrell & Co., Farmland Foods, Inc. and Seaboard Foods. John Morrell and Farmland Foods are Smithfield brands.
Nick Giordano, vice president and counsel for international affairs with the National Pork Producers Council, predicted in a recent interview that U.S. exporters will be able to fill the 50,000-ton quota set for them in 2010 by Russia. He said additional U.S. pork may be shipped as well at a 75% tariff rate.
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