US poultry industry praises Russian trade bill

The US Senate has overwhelmingly passed the Russia and Moldova Jackson-Vanik Repeal Act of 2012, which rescinds outdated legislation that is a roadblock to the United States taking full advantage of Russia’s accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The bipartisan vote of 92 to 4 came on the heels of the House of Representatives passage in November, and would establish permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) with Russia if it is signed by the president.

The National Turkey Federation (NTF), National Chicken Council (NCC) and USA Poultry & Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) commended the Senate for their rapid attention on passing this legislation and urged the president to sign the bill into law.

“This is an important issue for the US poultry industry, and we appreciate the senators who voted in favour of this bill,” the groups said. “We commend their bipartisan voting for the betterment of trade, and we encourage the president to act quickly, as the House and Senate have, and sign this bill into law.”

Granting PNTR to Russia will assure that the United States has equal accession to general tariff reductions, market opening measures and the ability of US interests, such as poultry, to seek trade relief, if necessary, through the WTO.