Russia and the United States will attempt to resolve a current dispute over U.S. poultry imports during bilateral talks which start in Moscow on Tuesday.

Tougher sanitary regulations regarding poultry processing that restrict the use of chlorine and moisture content came into force in Russia January 1. U.S. companies have traditionally used chlorine in poultry processing and may not be able to supply their products to Russia any longer.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin warned the United States on January 14 that Russia could find other poultry suppliers if U.S. companies fail to meet the country's sanitary requirements.

Imports of U.S. poultry to Russia began in the early 1990s, under a trade agreement signed by the Soviet Union's last leader, Mikhail Gorbachev, and then-U.S. President George Bush Sr.

U.S. poultry shipments peaked in 2001, topping 1 billion metric tons, and began to decline as the Russian government began cutting import quotas. The figure stood at 800 million metric tons in 2008 and dropped to 750 million metric tons last year. The quota was further reduced to 600 million metric tons this year and was to reach 409 million metric tons in 2012.

As of 2009, Russia still accounted for some 22% of all poultry exports from the United States, the world's largest poultry producer and exporter. Almost four-fifths of all imported poultry on the Russian market came from the United States.

However, Russian producers and public have long been speculating over the possible dangers of the product, citing excessive levels of hormones, antibiotics, chlorine and other chemicals.

In 1997, the European Union banned U.S. poultry treated with chlorides, and the issue is now being looked at by the World Trade Organization. Five years later, Russia imposed a ban on U.S. poultry imports over salmonella concerns. The ban, however, was lifted a month later.

In 2008, a total of 58 metric tons of U.S.-produced chicken legs were destroyed after tests showed they contained huge amounts of arsenic. Later that year, Russia banned poultry imports from 19 U.S. producers, citing their failure to meet sanitary standards.

This year Russia introduced a law strictly limiting the amount of chlorine that can be used in the processing of poultry, effectively banning all imports from the United States.

Washington has responded with concern that this measure "would have a devastating impact" on the U.S. poultry industry and trade, and raise the costs of poultry products for Russian consumers.

MOSCOW, January 19 (RIA Novosti)