Russia proposes permanent ban on U.S. meat

Russia is planning to permanently ban meat imports from the United States, according to a draft decree published by Russia’s Ministry of Economic Development. This decree will also apply to the European Union. Russia intends to maintain quotas on meat imports at 2015 levels.

The United States and EU did not supply meat to Russia in 2015, due to the country’s embargo on food imports from various countries over the crisis in Ukraine.

If Russia lifts the embargo, the quotas for U.S. and EU meat imports will be distributed among suppliers who exported meat to Russia in 2015, effectively instituting a permanent ban on beef, pork and poultry imports from the United States and the EU.