Discussions between Russian regulators and a U.S. task force on the issue of poultry supplies to the R.F. market helped American officials understand Russia’s position. Talks were being conducted in the latter half of January 2010.

Joint sessions and meetings lasted for two days. U.S. Embassy officials said that both parties began to realize the problems each side faced. Further consultations on the poultry issue will take place over the course of the next several months.

Starting on January 1, Russia instituted sanitary criteria barring the importation of poultry processed with the use of chlorine. Industry analysts believe that the new norms will make it impracticable for American producers to import poultry into Russia this year. Previously, the volume of American exports to the Russian market were estimated at 500 000 tons.  

Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov indicated that Russia’s poultry imports from the U.S. will be indefinitely frozen until a successful resolution to the problem is found. 

Gennady Onishchenko, the head of the sanitary inspection service said that the primary purpose of the discussions with the American side is to ensure the U.S. producers’ compliance with Russia’s poultry-processing standards.