Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley is participating in meetings this week in Brussels and Moscow to discuss various issues – including agricultural concerns. Grassley says the European Union and Russia are imposing non-tariff trade barriers against soybeans and pork produced by American farmers for the export market. He says the EU’s position on soybeans has created uncertainty for farmers, traders, co-ops and processors in the United States. He says Russia’s unjustified position against U.S. pork has de-listed plants that account for 60-percent of U.S. pork production capacity.

Grassley will deliver two separate letters about these issues while on his trip. One to the EU Commissioner on the soybean export dispute and the other to the Russian Federation First Deputy Prime Minister and Russian Federation President about the limits on U.S. pork. If Russia is to become a member of the World Trade Organization – Grassley says the country needs to get rid of unscientifically-based import restrictions.