Russia partly lifts Canadian pork ban
Russia has partly lifted its ban on Canadian pork, easing one of the major trade impediments that have been straining Canada’s pork industry since the outbreak of H1N1 flu in April.
Russia has lifted its ban on imports of pork from the province of Quebec, Canada’s International Trade Minister Stockwell Day said on Friday. Effective June 30, Russia lifted H1N1-related restrictions on pork and pork products from Quebec that were produced before June 2 and after June 30. Russia also lifted restrictions against some Ontario beef and poultry products. The ban remains in place on uncooked pork from neighbouring Ontario.
The ban on Ontario pork remains in place because of the prevalence of the H1N1 virus in humans in Canada’s most populous province, said Jacques Pomerleau, executive director of Canada Pork International, a marketing agency for the export pork industry.
Russia had earlier lifted its ban on pork and swine from the provinces of Alberta, Nova Scotia and British Columbia. Canada exported 125,000 tonnes of pork last year to Russia, its third-largest market.
More than a dozen other countries are believed to still have at least partial bans on Canadian pork or swine.
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