Russia's agricultural regulator said the ban it imposed on pork imports from the United States over veterinary concerns has been lifted as of February 1.
"Supplies will be allowed from all slaughterhouses, meat-processing companies and cold storages included on the November 29, 2005 lists of enterprises authorized to export this class of product into Russia," the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Oversight (Rosselkhoznadzor) said in a news release.
Six new companies were added to the list of pork exporters.
The watchdog also lifted a ban on poultry deliveries from a U.S. company, but warned that the supplier, suspected of inadequate salmonella control in the past, would remain under the close scrutiny of Russian inspectors.
Russia's restrictions on U.S. meat imports were a major stumbling block in bilateral negotiations on Russia's entry to the World Trade Organization. Last November, Moscow secured a hard-fought bilateral agreement with Washington, removing the last major obstacle to its joining the world's largest trade body.
Russia has also lifted a ban on the import of livestock from the Czech Republic that was imposed following an outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy.
The veterinary watchdog said the ban has been lifted because the situation in the republic has stabilized, but restrictions still apply to cattle born after 2002 of stock where mad cow disease was registered earlier.
