Russia cancels special conditions for transit of poultry from U.S. to Kazakhstan
MOSCOW. Aug 22 (Interfax) - Russian plant and animal health watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor has cancelled previously introduced special conditions for transit of live birds, poultry products and hatching eggs from the United States to Kazakhstan through Russian territory.
Compliance with the special conditions no longer makes sense because the temporary restrictions on the movement and transit of live birds, poultry products and hatching eggs from the U.S. across Russia have been cancelled, Rosselkhoznadzor told Interfax.
"We have cancelled the special conditions for transit of poultry products from the U.S. to Kazakhstan, in other words transit will proceed without impediments," the watchdog said.
A ban on shipments of live birds and hatching eggs, poultry meat and all poultry products from the U.S. to Russia was imposed in 2015 due to recorded cases of highly pathogenic bird flu in the U.S., Rosselkhoznadzor recalled. At the same time, the movement and transit of live birds, poultry products and hatching eggs from the U.S. through Russia, with the exception of specific-pathogen-free eggs (the main raw material for production of virus vaccines and diagnostic products) was stopped.
In December 2017, Russia permitted the movement and transit of birds, poultry products and hatching eggs from the U.S. to Kazakhstan given compliance with a number of conditions. This was possible only if the products were transported by railway and the transit shipments were reported through the Mercury system so that the shipments could be tracked. Now compliance with these conditions is not required.
The ban imposed in 2015 on shipments of live birds and hatching eggs, poultry meat and all poultry products that have not undergone thermal treatment (at least 70 degrees Celsius), feed and feed additives for birds, as well as used equipment for housing, slaughtering and dressing poultry, and feathers and down from the U.S. to Russia was lifted on February 20, 2018. Temporary restrictions on the movement and transit of live birds, poultry products and hatching eggs from the U.S. through Russia were also lifted. In light of this, compliance with the special conditions for transit no longer makes sense.
However, U.S. chicken cannot be shipped to the Russian market, because imports of meat from the U.S. are subject to the food embargo Russia imposed in August 2014 in response to U.S. and EU sanctions.