Russia Bans US Pork

On December 10, Russia announced it would ban meat from four more pork-producing plants in the US due to insufficient food safety standards, and it may ban all US pork products if the trend continues. US pork industry officials argue this threat is just a strategy to lower prices and exploit loopholes in trade agreements. However, Russia’s farm watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor says the US Food Safety and Inspection Service is not adhering to Russian food safety standards. It is particularly concerned about the presence of the antibiotic oxitetracycline in the meat. Russia is the fifth largest export market for US pork, and it banned seven other US pork plants earlier this month.