020341 Russia to Keep U.S. Poultry Ban

Moscow - Russia hardened its position over a ban on U.S. poultry imports during talks with American officials, ruling out any chance of lifting it until the U.S. meets its quality standards.

"If the Americans want to bring in their meat, they must take care that it corresponds to our standards," Sergei Dankvert, Russia's first deputy agriculture minister said.

"(Chief Veterinarian Mikhail) Kravchuk will not issue an import license unless the meat corresponds to our norms."

Russia imposed a ban on imports of U.S. poultry on Sunday, citing quality concerns. Dankvert said the meat did not comply with Russian regulations on antibiotic and arsenic content.

Earlier this week Russia said it had discovered salmonella in 16 samples of imported U.S. poultry.

Washington has dismissed Russia's safety concerns and said the ban could affect broader U.S.-Russian trade relations, noting Russia is in line to join the World Trade Organization.

About half of all U.S poultry exports are to the Russian market and poultry accounts for 20 percent of total U.S. exports to Russia, or around $640 million, according to data from the U.S. Trade Representative's office.

Dankvert said differences between the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Trade Representative's office, the Food and Drug Administration and their Russian counterparts would not be solved quickly.

"If in 1996 (when the last protocols were signed) the standards were higher than in 1991, in 2002 the demands are much higher than in 1996," Dankvert said. "The problems can be solved quickly only in one case -- if (the United States) will accept all our demands and give guarantees from their farmers that their products correspond to our norms."

A 12-strong team of U.S. experts and diplomats is holding talks in Moscow, trying to persuade their Russian counterparts to lift the ban by the end of the week.

But Dankvert said the talks would have to continue as Russia had raised a number of issues.

"Experts are finding more and more differences in quality standards applied here and in the United States," Dankvert said.

"Currently 238 containers with 20 tonnes of U.S. poultry are being held at St. Petersburg port. They have the necessary licenses for export from the United States, but do not have a license from Russian veterinarians," he said.

"There have also been cases when we received shipments of poultry meat accompanied by certificates for beef."

The trade dispute has received attention at unusually high levels within the U.S. government.

President Bush said the spat needed to be resolved, but predicted it would not sour bilateral relations. Last Monday Secretary of State Colin Powell raised the poultry issue in a telephone conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov.

Ukraine banned imports of U.S. poultry earlier this year over the alleged use of antibiotics.

Another former Soviet republic, Kyrgyzstan, has followed the example of Ukraine and Russia, banning U.S. poultry imports indefinitely, and Moldova said on Thursday it may follow suit.

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