Trade Disputes Dominate Global Market

Trade issues and disputes have been to the fore in the global meat sector of the last week with tensions rising between Russia and neighbour Belarus over biosecurity issues and the US appealing the decision of the World Trade Organisation over country of origin labelling.

This week the Russian and Belarus veterinary authorities met to settle problems of biosecurity on meat imports into Russia.

The Russian authorities have been concerned that consignments of meat and meat products are entering eh country contaminated with African swine fever.

The Russians have claimed to have written more than 40 letters of complaint to the Belarus authorities, but have received replies to just five.

They are concerned that Belarus is ignoring biosecurity conventions and is allowing product with fake or incorrect health certificates to cross the borders.

The lack of action by Belarus has led to a blockade on meat and food products by Russia and now after lengthy talks fresh attempts are being made to tighten up the controls at the borders and the checks in the meat plants in Belarus.

At the WTO, the US has lodged an appeal against the decision over country of origin labelling that declares the US changes to the policy even more restrictive than before.

The moves by the US to get the WTO decision overturned have drawn howls of anguish from the Canadian and Mexican meat producers who lodged the initial dispute.

They are demanding that the US abide by the decision of the WTO and make the labelling rules less restrictive and more favourable to exporting countries.

Meanwhile, India is reported to be considering a challenge to the recent World Trade Organisation (WTO) panel ruling over imports of US poultry meat.

India is likely to challenge a WTO panel's ruling which had described the country's ban on American poultry product imports as inconsistent with global norms.

The Department of Commerce is working on the "feasibility of filing an appeal against the WTO's panel report" in consultation with the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries.