Poultry groups: Open up Russia

U.S. House bill normalizes trade

— U.S. poultry interests, including those in Arkansas and neighboring states, have joined other trade groups and businesses in a push to approve permanent normal trade relations with Russia.

The groups contend that Russia has achieved compliance with World Trade Organization rules governing free trade, making the nation eligible for inclusion. A bill establishing normal trade relations could pass in the U.S. House of Representatives soon, with a vote scheduled Friday.

A separate bill addressing human-rights provisions, which Russia opposes, could also be merged into the trade bill.

Groups supporting the trade-relations bill include The Poultry Federation — representing poultry interests in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma — as well as the National Chicken Council, the National Turkey Federation, the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and numerous state-level poultry organizations.

“Historically, Russia has been a wonderful market for the U.S. poultry industry,” said John Ward, Poultry Federation vice president and director of Oklahoma operations for the group.

Trade restrictions with Russia have been in place since the 1970s because of the nation’s earlier limitations on emigration of Jews, but the trade restrictions have been waived each year since 1989. Russia lifted emigration limits in 1991.

Russia’s economy ranks as the world’s seventh-largest to the 11th-largest, depending on the criteria used.

“It’s a very important market for us,” said Tom Super, vice president of com- munications for the National Chicken Council. For broilers, he said, Russia is the thirdlargest export destination for U.S. producers, accounting for about $300 million in sales annually.

“I’m fairly optimistic it will pass. This is a win-win for U.S. business,” he said.

Gary Mickelson, a spokesman for Tyson Foods Inc. in Springdale, declined to comment on Russia’s trade status, deferring to poultry trade associations.

The industry’s push for normal trade relations with Russia operates under the umbrella of the Coalition for U.S.-Russia Trade. The group formed to ensure that Russia’s entry into the World Trade Organization was on “strong, commercially meaningful terms” that would benefit U.S. companies and farmers.

“The time for Congress to act is now,” Randi Levinas, the coalition’s executive director, said in a news release. “We simply cannot afford to sit idly by and continue to put U.S. exports and jobs at risk when we know there is strong bipartisan support for this legislation in both chambers.”

Russia became a WTO member Aug. 22.

Among organizations and companies favoring normal trade relations for Russia are the American Farm Bureau Federation, The Boeing Co., Caterpillar Inc., General Electric Co. and Pepsico Inc.

The lengthy list includes a wide variety of business interests, such as the American Apparel & Footwear Association, Amway, The Walt Disney Co., JPMorgan Chase & Co., Hormel Foods Corp. and the National Black Chamber of Commerce.

Business, Pages 27 on 11/15/2012

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