International Egg and Poultry Review - By the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service - This is a weekly report looking at international developments concerning the poultry industry, this week looking at the EU's Export Subsidies.

Romania HRI Food Sector

Romania is the second largest market in east-central Europe after Poland, with 21.7 million emerging consumers and a strategic position on the Black Sea. Romania has one of the fastest growing economies in Europe and the GDP growth expanded by an estimated 4.9 percent in 2003. Foreign direct investment inflows continue the ascendant trend, with an anticipated value of $1.5 billion for 2004. In 2002 more than half of the Romanian population was living in cities 55.9%.

According with the Romanian Customs Directorate, imports of agrifood products reached $1.7 billion in 2003, 40% higher than in 2002. About 33% of total agri-food imports were sourced from the EU. The value of U.S. exports to Romania was $93 million (5.5%), to some extent lower than in 2002. The major imported products were poultry meat, soybeans, cigarettes, raw tobacco, pork meat, fish, nuts.

The main foreign suppliers of poultry are the United States, Brazil and Hungary. The most frequently used meats are chicken legs, poultry liver, and turkey meat. The United States (49%) and Brazil (29%) were major supply sources of poultry to Romania in 2003. The U.S. has competitive prices compared to local producers, especially for chicken leg quarters that are preferred by the Romanian consumers.
Source: USDA/FAS

EU Firm on Export Subsidies

The European Union is sticking by its position that it is only prepared to eliminate export subsidies on products of export interest to developing countries, despite growing pressure from other WTO members for a commitment by mid-year to negotiate an end-date for the end of export refunds on all products. The EU Commission’s director for international affairs in agriculture, Mary Minch, insisted that the mandate for the Doha Round of farm trade talks “doesn’t imply an end date for all products. I don’t think that it’s a good idea to say when, if or how WTO members could eliminate export subsidies at this stage,” Minch told reporters during a week-long negotiating session in Geneva at the end of March, marking the re-launch of the agriculture talks.
Source: International Egg Commission

Mexico will export poultry meat to Japan

The President of the National Farmers Confederation (CNC), Heladio Ramirez, indicated that Mexico will export 3,000 MT of poultry meat to Japan during 2004. Mr. Ramirez added that, with this new trade agreement, it is urgent that the Mexican Government support producers by investing in the agricultural sector in order to train them and to increase the level of infrastructure. During a meeting with the President of the Agricultural Committee of the Lower House, the need to take advantage of the trade opportunities with Japan was discussed, given that Mexico imports about 70 percent of its food products.
Source: La Jornada, 02/12/04

Negotiations to export poultry to the U.S. worked out

The President of the Poultry Producers Association, Cesar de Anda, stated that the project to export valued-added poultry products and powder eggs to the United States has been worked out and by July Mexican producers can begin to export to that market. There have been negotiations with U.S. poultry producers and by the end of April Mexico expects that inspectors from the United States Department of Agriculture will have certified Mexican poultry plants. Currently there are only three plants authorized to export product to the United States; these are located in the states of Yucatan, Sinaloa, and Jalisco. Poultry exports were banned due the presence of Newcastle disease and salmonella, but Sinaloa, Sonora and Jalisco are free of these diseases and would be eligible to export value-added poultry products and processed eggs.
Source : Reforma 02/06/04

To view the full report, including tables please click here (PDF Format)

Source: USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service - 27th April 2004