Eligible Pork, Veal Products Clarified for Russia, Belarus

On Aug. 7, all export requirements for Russia were removed from the FSIS Export Library in response to Russia’s import ban on U.S. pork and beef products. But the scope of Russia’s import ban was clarified on Sept. 5, when eligibility was restored for pork liver, heart, kidneys and fat.

This week FSIS updated the Export Library for Russia to further clarify the scope of the import ban. Eligibility was restored for pork cheek meat, head meat, tongue, backbone, brisket bones, bung, pig ears, pig feet, femur bone, hanging tender, hocks, jowl, neck bones, pancreas, skin, skirt/diaphragm, snout, tongue, spleen, tail, tendons and whole heads. Eligible pork fat was also further defined to include back fat, caul fat, cutting fat and leaf fat. Exporters should note, however, that all of these items must meet the export requirements that were in place for Russia prior to the Aug. 7 ban, and must be sourced from a pork plant that is on the eligible plant list for Russia.

All U.S. beef and beef products remain ineligible for Russia, because this was already the case at the time of the import ban. However, one U.S. plant is eligible to ship veal to Russia, and this week’s Export Library update restores eligibility for the following items, provided they are sourced from the eligible plant:

Veal byproducts such as achilles tendon, back strap, cheek meat, feet, femur bone, hanging tender, head meat, heart, kidney, liver, tail, skirt/diaphragm, skirt sinew, sweetbread, tongue, weasand and edible fat derived from formula fed calves, three to eight months of age, which are slaughtered and fabricated on or after March 26, 2013.

Russia’s pre-import ban requirements implemented for Belarus

The Export Library for Belarus, which is in a Customs Union with Russia and Kazakhstan, was also updated this week. It now includes all export requirements that were in place for Russia prior to Russia’s Aug. 7 import ban. Because the import ban is not reflected in the export requirements for Belarus, pork muscle cuts and most pork offal products are eligible. Prepared meat products and natural pork casings are ineligible.

It is important to note, however, that all pork products exported to Belarus must be produced under an approved export verification (EV) program for Russia and under the Never Fed Beta Agonist Quality Systems Verification Program (QSVP). Furthermore, all products must originate from facilities on the eligible plant list for Russia (see link above), which is now referenced directly in the “Plants Eligible to Export” section of the Export Library for Belarus.

Deboned veal, bone-in veal, and veal byproducts that were eligible for Russia prior to the import ban are also now eligible for Belarus, provided they are from the one U.S. veal plant approved to export to Russia. As noted above, Russia currently accepts only veal byproducts from this plant – but muscle cuts are eligible for Belarus.

Beef and beef products, as well as bison and bison meat products, are ineligible for Belarus.

Exporters with questions regarding product eligibility for Russia, Belarus or other destinations in the Greater Russia region may email Cheyenne Dixon or call 303-623-6328.