VZCZCXYZ0008
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHMO #3175/01 3031249
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 291249Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC PRIORITY 5394
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0546
INFO RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 4671
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 5224

UNCLAS MOSCOW 003175 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
USDA FAS FOR OCRA/KUYPERS; ONA/SALLYARDS, MURPHY 
- OSTA/HAMILTON, BEAN 
PASS FSIS/JONES, DUTROW 
STATE FOR EUR/RUS 
STATE PASS USTR FOR PORTER, KLEIN 
BRUSSELS PASS APHIS/FERNANDEZ 
VIENNA PASS APHIS/TANAKA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ETRD ECON WTO RS
SUBJECT: RUSSIAN VET SERVICE USES TYPOS ON VET 
CERTS TO BLOCK TRADE 
 
REF: A) HANSEN/DUTROW EMAIL, B) MOSCOW 2688, C) 
MOSCOW 2435, D) MOSCOW 2143 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: The Russian Federal Veterinary 
and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service (VPSS) 
informed via official letter that correction 
letters from the USDA's Food Safety and 
Inspection Service (FSIS) will not be considered. 
Since the beginning of 2008, VPSS has ignored 
dozens of correction letters and made clear that 
no credence will be given to them or any future 
such letters.  In addition, VPSS stated that all 
meat and poultry shipments that arrive to Russia 
with minor typos on accompanying veterinary 
certificates will be refused entry and returned 
back to the United States.  Original scanned copy 
and courtesy translation were sent to FSIS on 
October 28 (REF A).  An informal embassy 
translation of the backdated letter follows. END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (SBU) BEGIN TEXT: 
Moscow, October 27, 2008 
No. FS-HB-2/10873 
 
Assistant Deputy Administrator 
USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) 
Dr. William James 
 
The Federal Veterinary and Phytosanitary 
Surveillance Service (VPSS) renders its respect 
to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service 
(FSIS).  In response to your request dated 
September 17, 2008, I send you a copy of 
veterinary certificate No. RFP-097425 issued for 
products manufactured at enterprise No. 3S. 
 
Simultaneously, we report that VPSS has 
repeatedly informed FSIS about gross violations 
of the Russian laws in the veterinary field.  The 
U.S. side is surely aware of these violations as 
it is constantly sending corrective letters on 
"clerical mistakes" made on veterinary 
certificates.  Just over the period of September 
2008, FSIS has repeatedly informed VPSS of the 
typographical errors including the following: 
 
Manufacturing dates were misspelled in 
certificates for pork cheeks RFP-121512 and RFP- 
¶121514.  There was a mismatch noted between 
numbers of certificates and numbers of 
certificates put on the boxes; 
 
Meat processing plant numbers were not correct in 
pork veterinary certificate RFP-097565; 
 
The "CRLU" entry was missing in front of the 
container numbers in poultry veterinary 
certificates RFP-044299, RFP-044326, RFP-044287, 
RFP-044288, RFP-044288, RFP-044297, RFP-044298, 
RFP-044307, RFP-044309, RFP-044327, RFP-044328, 
RFP-044329, RFP-044330, RFP-044342. 
 
These facts, once again, demonstrate that the 
U.S. veterinary service seriously lacks control 
over livestock products shipped to the Russian 
Federation and that necessary measures needed to 
address this issue is not being taken. 
 
Besides, pursuant to your letter and in 
accordance with U.S. laws, FSIS does not have 
authority of meat and poultry shipments once they 
leave the facilities.  In this connection, VPSS 
will not consider letters related to meat and 
poultry shipments to Russia that were detained at 
port due to violations of Russian veterinary and 
sanitary requirements.  In accordance with 
Russian Federation veterinary laws, these 
 
products must be returned back to the United 
States. 
 
Doctor James, accept my assurances in the deepest 
respect. 
 
Attachment: in 2 pages (not included in this 
telegram) 
 
Deputy Head 
N.A. Vlasov 
END TEXT. 
 
------- 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) VPSS has complained about the number of 
errors being found on U.S. veterinary 
certificates that accompany meat and poultry 
shipments to Russia for over a year now. 
Periodically, VPSS summarizes all of the typos 
found on veterinary certificates and, as in this 
instance, sends the list to FSIS via official 
letter with a threat to ban either the facilities 
in question and/or the entire U.S. meat and 
poultry industry unless measures are taken to 
stop the number of "gross violations of Russian 
veterinary rules and regulations".  Post has 
reminded VPSS officials on numerous occasions 
that typos on veterinary certificates have 
nothing to do with food safety or quality of the 
product in question.  Nevertheless, VPSS views 
minor and inadvertent clerical mistakes as "gross 
violations of veterinary regulations" putting 
them in the same category as detection of food 
pathogens and antibiotics. 
 
¶4. (SBU) VPSS has worked overtime to build a case 
against FSIS to show that it is incapable of 
ensuring that U.S. meat and poultry meet Russian 
veterinary regulations so that trade can be 
restricted when deemed necessary.  Post's 
internal investigation showed that only 0.25 
percent of total U.S. meat shipments to Russia in 
2007 arrived with veterinary certificates with 
typos.  While most would consider this to be an 
acceptable margin of error that comes with large 
trade volumes, VPSS believes otherwise by 
enforcing a strict zero tolerance policy on all 
human error.  Post encourages Washington 
addressees to seek higher-level intervention and 
demand that Russia accept international standards 
in such cases as called for by international 
setting bodies. 
BEYRLE