WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — In 2014, US President Barack Obama introduced new seafood import regulations in an effort to combat illegal fishing. According to the new rules, each supplier must present extensive information on the origins of the catch.
“We would be highly appreciated if US could take a little more prudent approaches to avoid unnecessary trade barriers when you are to formulate the related new rules and start to implement based on the WTO [World Trade organization] rules,” Cui stated.
In the letter addressed to US Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Fisheries Russell Smith, Cui argued that Chinese fish farmers have not been involved in illegal fishing.
“Thus we require the removal of farmed species from the trace list to avoid increasing unnecessary burden on the supply chain,” Cui stated.
Earlier in June, a representative of Russia's Federal Agency for Fishery (Rosrybolovstvo) Oleg Rykov told RIA Novosti that Moscow has also been concerned with the consequences of the new regulations.
The official said the Russian Economy Ministry has notified the United States of Russia's concerns over the issue within the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
