(Corrects Russia's percent share of total U.S. food and
agriculture exports in second paragraph)
Aug 6 (Reuters) - Russia banned all imports of food from the
United States and all fruit and vegetable imports from Europe in
retaliation for Western sanctions over its support for rebels in
Ukraine, Russia's state news agency said on Wednesday.
With about $1.2 billion in U.S. food and agricultural
product imports in 2013, Russia was the 23rd largest market for
the United States, representing an 0.8 percent share of U.S.
food and agricultural exports to all countries.
Russia is the second-largest importer of U.S. poultry meat,
and the seventh largest U.S. pistachio importer.
Moscow banned imports of U.S. beef and pork in February
2013, citing concerns about the growth-enhancing feed additive
ractopamine. Only a few U.S. plants have resumed exports to
Russia by ensuring exported products are ractopamine free.
Below is a list of the top U.S. food and agricultural
products exported to Russia from January to June 2014, according
to the U.S. Agriculture Department's Foreign Agriculture
Service.
Product Jan-Jun 2013 Jan-Jun 2014 YOY
(value in $1000) (value in $1000) change
Soybeans 16,278 134,396 726%
Broiler meat 154,226 128,507 -17%
Pork 15,684 60,436 285%
Almonds 71,250 47,142 -34%
Breeding beef 71,922 13,633 -81%
and dairy cattle
Pistachios 16,278 9,272 -43%
Peanuts 9,894 7,955 -20%
Soymeal 46 7,500 16204%
Rice 2,763 2,924 6%
Beef and veal 550 158 -71%
(Reporting by Karl Plume in Chicago)
