Trade minister Stockwell Day says he took a clear message to the Russian government last week that growing protectionism in its agricultural trade with Canada is unjustified.
Russia is one of 15 countries that still have some restriction on imports of Canadian swine and pork connected to H1N1 fears.
Russia maintains a ban on hog and pork imports originating in Ontario and Quebec.
And the country recently imposed a 15 percent duty on imports of combine harvesters and self-propelled forage harvesters from Canada, as well as instructing lenders to offer reduced interest on loans to Russian farmers buying domestically produced equipment.
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“Trade issues were at the top of the meeting agenda,” Day said, during a callback news conference June 24 from Sochie, Russia.
On the swine and pork ban, he said he pressed Russian agriculture minister Elena Skrynnik to accept scientific opinion that there is no connection between eating pork and being exposed to the virus.
The Russians agreed to take part in a video conference call with Canadian Food Inspection Agency officials to review the scientific evidence.
Day said they made reference to the fact that proportionately, there are more human cases of H1N1 flu in Canada than in the United States.
But the trade minister said that is irrelevant.
“The fact is the virus is not transmitted in the meat.”
He said it would have been unrealistic to see the Russians change their position during a brief meeting.
“But we had a good discussion and we have information that the word has gone down from the political level to the bureaucratic level to re-engage on the issue and that is positive.”
According to the CFIA, 15 countries have some restriction on import of Canadian swine or pork because of H1N1. It ranges from Albanian, Philippine and Chinese bans on product from Alberta to a complete ban by countries such as Ecuador, Indonesia and Lebanon.
On the farm equipment file, Day said Russia has agreed to look again at policies that Canadian machinery exporters complain are thinly veiled protectionism.
He said the Russian machinery sector cannot fill domestic demand so imports are required.
“We made the case that it doesn’t help their equipment sector and (equipment imports) to enhance agricultural production,” said Day.
Day did not get a commitment that those policies will be changed, but received a promise they would be reviewed.
