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Russia may ban import of soybeans from US — phytosanitary watchdog

According to the report, a phytosanitary inspection in 2015 revealed 7 cases of contamination of beans imported from the US with objects considered quarantine in Russia and in 2016 — 4 such cases

© Sergei Fadeichev/TASS

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Russia may ban corn supplies from US —- watchdog

MOSCOW, January 26. /TASS/. Russia may ban imports of not only corn but also soybeans from the United States, the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) reported on Tuesday.

According to the report, a phytosanitary inspection in 2015 revealed 7 cases of contamination of beans imported from the US with objects considered quarantine in Russia while in January 2016 there were 4 such cases.

After the situation is discussed with representatives of the US "the issue of introducing contemporary restrictions on imports of corn and soybeans from America to Russia will be considered," the report said. Systematic supplies of contaminated products from the US endanger phytosanitary and food safety of not only the Russian Federation but the whole Eurasian Economic Union, Rosselkhoznadzor said.

According to the customs statistics, the US is not a major importer of soybeans to the Russian Federation. In 10 months of 2015, 1.7 mln tons of soybeans were imported to Russia, with around 1 mln tonnes from Paraguay, 0.4 mln tonnes from Brazil and 0.3 mln tons from the United States.

As was reported on Monday, Moscow may introduce a ban on supplies of corn from the United States over systematic Diplodia stalk rot infection. The Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor) has sent a request to the US side asking it "to exclude supplies to Russia’s territory of the infected American corn." The potential damage from the supplies of quarantined goods to Russia reaches some 10 or 15 billion rubles ($128 million-$192 million), the analysis of phytosanitary risks shows, according to the watchdog. Now the infected corn is only used in Russia for the production of popcorn, it said.

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