Meat from the United States is set to be barred from Russia, due to usage of a drug in cattle feed. Ractopamine, as the substance is called, helps to promote lean meat development in livestock.

Rosselkhoznadzor, the regulatory agency in Russia, added this ban on top of another imposed on February 4 that covered chilled meats. The most recent action will extend the previous limited ban to cover most of the meats that are exported to Russia.

The U.S. Meat Export Federation estimates that $500 million worth of meat and pork are exported to Russia annually. Effects of the ban remain to be seen, as America represents an important source of food to Russia, making up almost 9 percent of meat imports.

Russia relies on imports from foreign nations to feed its people, and sources a great deal of meat from the United States.

Sergei Dankvert, head of Rosselkhoznadzor, stated that meat from the United States failed recent laboratory tests.

"So the restriction is a compelled measure," said Dankvert.

International Involvement

The European Union and China also do not allow ractopamine. Russia had previously warned Brazil and Canada regarding traces of this drug in meat imports, but the U.S. was apparently the only country that could not guarantee exclusion of this drug.

Political Complications

This trade restriction ironically comes after Congress voted to lift trade sanctions on Russia that remain from the Cold War era. Unfortunately, this was accompanied by another bill criticizing Russia for human rights violations, dubbed the Magnitsky bill after the whistle-blowing lawyer Sergei Magnitsky who died in a Moscow prison in 2009.

However, Russian embassy spokesman Yevgeniy Khorisko denies that these matters are related.

"There is absolutely no link between the Magnitsky bill and Russia's decision," said Khorisko.

United States Trade Representative Ron Kirk and United States Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack issued a statement indicating that the action by Russia could violate their terms of members in in the World Trade Organization:

"The United States is very concerned that Russia has taken these actions, which appear to be inconsistent with its obligations as a member of the World Trade Organization."