Russia bans poultry, pig, beef imports from Brazil manufacturers

Russia has banned meat and livestock imports from 89 manufacturers in three Brazil states for failing to meet Russian standards, according to Alexei Alexeyenko, spokesman for Russian food safety watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor.
"Essentially, the ban is a vote of no-confidence in the vet services of these states, which were unable to introduce a system for fulfilling customs union requirements," said Alexeyenko. Twenty-three companies in the state of Mato Gross (including 16 beef producers), 27 in Rio Grande do Sul (including 10 poultry producers) and 39 in Parana (including 15 poultry and 11 pork producers) are affected by the ban.
Overall, Brazil accounted for 19% of Russia's poultry imports (121,000 metric tons), 35% of its pork imports (215,000 metric tons) and 45% of its beef imports (269,000 metric tons) in 2010.