"Agreements signed more than three years ago as part of the negotiations on WTO accession are unfortunately no longer in Russia's interests. To put it mildly, we've been deceived" -- Alexei Gordeyev, Russia's agriculture minister
I know how he feels!!!! And that is mild for this blog, yeah!
"Reductions considered in meat imports; Move could hurt industry in US" by Catrina Stewart, Associated Press | August 28, 2008
MOSCOW - Russia could cut poultry and pork import quotas by hundreds of thousands of tons, the country's agriculture minister said yesterday. The move could hit American producers hard and comes amid heightened tensions between Moscow and Washington over the war in ex-Soviet Georgia.
"It is time to change the quota regime and reduce imports, which have unfortunately built up in recent years," Alexei Gordeyev told reporters, according to the ITAR-Tass news agency. He said domestic producers could make up the shortfall if imports were reduced.
Any substantial cuts would likely have a significant impact on US poultry producers, for whom Russia is the biggest market. Russians sometimes refer to US poultry imports as "Bush's legs," a reference to the frozen chicken shipped by the first Bush administration to Russia amid economic troubles following the 1991 Soviet collapse.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin backed proposals to freeze some of the agreements - particularly in the field of agriculture - relating to its efforts to join the 153-member World Trade Organization. Officials claim Moscow agreed to certain conditions with member countries in return for their help in fast-tracking Russia's entry.
"Agreements signed more than three years ago as part of the negotiations on WTO accession are unfortunately no longer in Russia's interests," said Gordeyev. "To put it mildly, we've been deceived."
Last month, Russian and US lobbyists agreed in principle to cutting poultry imports to Russia starting in 2009. US producers supply nearly 75 percent of the total poultry import quota set by Russia, which stands at 1.2 million tons.
An analyst said Russia's timing was no coincidence. "It has been on the agenda for some time," said Chris Weafer, chief strategist at UralSib bank in Moscow. ". . . It has just been accelerated as a result of current events."
American meat producers are increasingly looking to international markets as a way to offset domestic sluggishness, so any cuts could hurt them. They're grappling with high production costs and an oversupply of meat on the US market, which is keeping prices down. Analysts say American meat producers have to grow overseas - where a weak US dollar has made their products more attractive - to stay profitable.
WTF, we are starving over here! WTF?
Does this government and its corporations just not give one damn fart poot about us or what? They bring ILLEGALS here to do the work, then SHIP the FOOD OUT!!!!
WAKE UP, AmeriKa!!!!!!!!!!!
Russian cuts could greatly affect
Do they carry the same weight as the LOBBY?!!
