Russia extends ban on meat, poultry from Western nations

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed an order to extend the country’s ban on imports of meat, poultry and other agricultural products from the United States, Canada, European Union, Australia and Norway.
Under the order, the ban, which would have expired on August 8, will be continued for another six months, according to a report from Reuters. The list of the type of goods banned from import into Russia is not expected to change under the extension.
The Russian trade ban was initially put into place on August 6, 2014, in response to sanctions imposed by these countries stemming from events in the Ukraine and the Crimean Peninsula.
North American Meat Institute President and CEO Barry Carpenter expressed concern with Russia’s decision to extend the ban, calling the move 'unjustified' in a statement.
"Continuing this ban ignores the free trade obligations that came with Russia's 2012 decision to join the World Trade Organization," said Carpenter. "The U.S. meat and poultry industry supports free trade and strives to reduce tariff and non-tariff barriers to ensure the safe trade of these products."
Prior to the ban, Russia was the second-leading market for U.S. chicken, according to the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council. In 2013, the U.S. exported about 267,000 metric tons of chicken to Russia, valued at $303 million.