patrick.net

U.S. meat supplies to Russia have been banned. The Russian Federation and the United States differ in the assessment of the causes of the situation. Russia claims that the reason for the ban was the presence of ractopamine drug in US meat. America insists that Russia's actions were a response to the adoption of the Magnitsky Act by the Senate and accuses Russia of violating WTO rules.

Although few Americans outside of the livestock industry have ever heard of ractopamine, the feed additive is controversial. Fed to an estimated 60 to 80 percent of pigs in the United States, it has resulted in more reports of sickened or dead pigs than any other livestock drug on the market, an investigation of Food and Drug Administration records shows.

Growing concern over sick animals in the nation's food supply sparked a California law banning the sale and slaughter of livestock unable to walk, but that law was struck down by the Supreme Court Monday. Meat producers had sued to overturn California’s ban, arguing that the state could not supercede federal rules on meat production. The court agreed.

The U.S. Meat Export Federation estimates that exports of beef and pork are on track to hit $5 billion each for the first time in history of free trade. Although reaching the $5 billion landmark may be exciting for the U.S, it must be remembered that the use of ractopamine has cost us billions of dollars as countries like China, Taiwan, India, and the entire EU still refuse our meat. Pork exports to China, for example, quadrupled from 2005 to 2010 to $463 million but are still only two to three percent of the entire market share. Moreover, China and the EU requires U.S. exporters to certify their meat is ractopamine-free.

http://english.pravda.ru/business/companies/11-12-2012/123129-russia_usa_meat_imports-0/

http://www.nbcnews.com/business/dispute-over-drug-feed-limiting-us-meat-exports-174014