Russia and the United States will attempt...

Tougher sanitary regulations regarding poultry processing that restrict the use of chlorine and moisture content came into force in Russia January 1. U.S. companies have traditionally used chlorine in poultry processing and may not be able to supply their products to Russia any longer.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned the United States on January 14 that Russia could find other poultry suppliers if U.S. companies fail to meet the country"s sanitary requirements.

Imports of U.S. poultry to Russia began in the early 1990s, under a trade agreement signed by the Soviet Union"s last leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, and then-U.S. President George Bush Sr.

U.S. poultry shipments peaked in 2001, topping 1 billion metric tons, and began to decline as the Russian government began cutting import quotas. The figure stood at 800 million metric tons in 2008 and dropped to 750 million metric tons last year. The quota was further reduced to 600 million metric tons this

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