USDA Says 'Non' to French Foie Gras

PARIS (Reuters) - The French Farm Ministry said on Tuesday U.S. authorities had informed it of their decision to suspend imports of French meat products on health safety grounds.

Following a veterinary inspection conducted in France by the U.S. Department of Agriculture "between January 15 and February 5, 2004, the United States has informed the (French) farm ministry of its decision to suspend imports of French meat products," it said in a statement.

It added the suspension covered products such as charcuterie and foie gras and followed an inspection of the 11 French firms licensed to export meat products to the United States and of the veterinary services which supervise them.

"The U.S. farm ministry highlighted non-conformities in their health safety system," it said.

It said the decision to suspend imports was taken despite a last-minute trip by Farm Minister Herve Gaymard to Washington on Monday to present the steps taken by French companies to comply with specific U.S. standards.

"France agrees neither with the statements made by the U.S. authorities nor the conclusions they thought they needed to draw from them," it added.

The move coincides with other developments that will not help the large but sometimes tense trading relationship between the United States and the European Union.

Earlier on Tuesday the European Commission decided to slap a one-month ban on imports of chicks and eggs from the United States after the discovery of bird flu in Texas.

Separately, the Geneva-based World Trade Organization (WTO) gave the European Union on Tuesday the go-ahead to levy sanctions on U.S. companies in a long-running row over an illegal anti-dumping law, trade sources said.

The EU, which was backed in its complaint by Japan, India and Mexico, had asked for the right to retaliate after the United States failed to repeal legislation which the WTO had already ruled violated free trade rules.