US and Russia agree on WTO entry rules

The Office of the US Trade Representative has announced that the US and Russia have come to an agreement on market access issues, enabling the US to support Russia's entry into the World Trade Organisation.

US and Russian officials expect to sign the agreement at the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Bill Roegnik, a vice president of the National Chicken Council, said that poultry producers are pleased with the agreement.

Russia is the biggest export market for US poultry, but Russian and US officials have disagreed over animal health and sanitation standards.

Russia banned imports from the US after a low-pathogenic strain of bird flu was found in several states. Some commentators called the import ban trump card in the WTO entry negotiations.

The ban was lifted last month.

For more information, see the Worldpoultry.net opinion piece on Russia's entry into the WTO.

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Editor WorldPoultry