020710 Russia Wants U.S. Chicken Certified

Moscow - Russia threatened to renew its ban on U.S. poultry imports Aug. 1, saying the ban would be renewed if U.S. producers fail to provide new veterinary certificates.

The Russian government imposed a ban on U.S. poultry imports in March, citing concerns about sanitary conditions at U.S. plants and cases of salmonella in imported chicken.

The ban was lifted a month later, after the United States promised to tighten export controls, but new bureaucratic hurdles have delayed a full resumption of imports.

U.S. officials, who wrapped up the latest round of talks on Wednesday, have repeatedly expressed hope that the two sides were close to an agreement and that the U.S. poultry industry would again find a stable market in Russia.

The Agriculture Ministry warned that if the United States was not ready to comply with the new certificates, Russia would have to bar all imports of American poultry.

"The result is that the import into Russia of poultry from the United States would be practically impossible from August 1," the ministry said in a statement.

Poultry with the existing certificates will only be accepted until July 31, the ministry said. But Russian agriculture officials emphasized that they are ready to continue discussions with the United States.

The United States has lobbied for the deadline to be pushed back to Oct. 1.

Before the dispute, U.S. producers in 38 states sent $600 million to $700 million worth of poultry to Russia each year.

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