Russia lifts US poultry ban

Russia, once the largest importer of U.S. chicken, has lifted a seven-month ban on the meat, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Friday.

U.S. poultry processors may begin submitting new applications to export meat to Russia, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said. Russia blocked the meat in January by slashing the allowable amount of chlorine U.S. processors could use as a disinfectant.

Russia has agreed to import poultry meat disinfected with hydrogen peroxide, cetylpyridinium chloride or peroxyacetic acid, instead of chlorine, which remains banned, the USDA said.

Russia spent $767 million on U.S. poultry in 2009, according to a joint statement last week from the USDA and U.S. Trade Representative. U.S. exports of chicken to Russia plunged 84 percent in the four months ended April 30 from a year earlier, and there were no shipments in March or April, according to the most-recent USDA data.