the russian federations restrictions on beef and swine meat g sps n rus 145 in july 2018 brazil raised concerns on the russian federations restrictions on beef and swine meat notified in g sps n rus 145. brazilian exports of swine and bovine meat to the russian federation had been suspended from 60 establishments since 1 december 2017 due to the alleged detection of ractopamine in shipments from four establishments. after the measure had been notified in 20 november 2017 brazil opened an investigation and despite not identifying any non-conformity it had increased its controls on the four establishments. brazil had further sent the russian federation the reports with negative results for ractopamine from the four investigated establishments evaluations of the segregation process in swine production and reports on increased official and private controls and laboratory tests. brazil added that russian authorities had been invited to brazil to visit local producers and that it had radically revised its legislation on the use of hormones as growth promoters. the use of ractopamine in breeding cattle was prohibited. therefore brazil argued that there was no basis to restrict the import of bovine meat by the russian federation. regarding the production of swine meat brazil noted that the segregation system had been implemented and had been providing ractopamine-free meat exports to the russian federation since 2013. brazil regretted that despite dialogue with the russian federation it had been impossible to establish effective measures to return to a normal trade flow. brazil reaffirmed its commitment to establishing control systems and processes that guaranteed the compliance and fulfilment of sanitary requirements of brazilian meat products exported to the russian federation and all other markets. the russian federation expressed its willingness to resolve this issue with brazil. the russian federation explained that the food and safety regulations of the russian federation and the eurasian economic union allowed no residues of ractopamine in meat or meat products. in this context an arrangement had been made between the russian federation and brazil establishing that the brazilian secretariat of animal and plant health would check each batch of meat products to ensure that no ractopamine residues were present in products for export to the russian federation. in november 2017 the russian federal service for veterinary and phytosanitary surveillance informed the brazilian secretariat for animal and plant health that ractopamine had been detected in meat products originating from brazil and due to a lack of remedial actions by brazil the russian federation had suspended imports of meat products from brazil. the russian federation had not received sufficient assurances that the causes of this situation had been investigated and further recurrences ruled out and in particular the source of ractopamine in meat products destined for the russian federation had been not identified.