Rosselkhoznadzor has imposed temporary restrictions on the import of products from Serbia and North Macedonia. The reason is the registration of sheep and goat pox in these countries.
The direct ban applies to live sheep and goats. But the list of limited products is not limited to this. The measures include meat products and meat raw materials, dairy products, animal feed and feed additives, raw materials of animal origin, as well as equipment used in the maintenance, slaughter and butchering of susceptible animals. The restrictions also affected some of the goods for personal use.
The logic of veterinary legislation explains the breadth of the list. The pathogen is transmitted not only with animals: it persists on feed, bedding, wool, hides and on inventory. Therefore, in case of an outbreak, restrictions are placed immediately along the entire chain of possible transfer, rather than on a single product group.
Two things are important for the importer. The first is the fate of shipments that are already on their way or are in a temporary storage warehouse. The order here is determined by the date of shipment and the date of registration of the veterinary certificate, and the decision on each batch is made individually. The second is the equipment. Companies purchasing processing lines and meat processing equipment from Serbian suppliers usually do not follow veterinary restrictions, as they do not consider themselves importers of livestock products. In this case, the ban comes as a surprise at the release stage.
What to do in the next few days. Raise all existing contracts with Serbian and Macedonian suppliers, including non-food items, and compare them with the list of restricted goods. For shipments on the way, contact the Rosselkhoznadzor territorial administration and record the procedure in writing. Evaluate alternative suppliers for planned purchases: the timing of lifting such restrictions depends on the epizootic situation and is usually measured in months rather than weeks.
