WASHINGTON — Business has been suspended with nine U.S. pork operations by Russia due to "clerical errors" in export certificates, according to Dow-Jones.

Russia should have contacted the U.S.D.A. about concerns over the errors it found to quickly obtain a replacement certificate to correct inadvertent errors, but Russia does not recognize or accept replacement certificates, said a U.S.D.A. spokesman.

Pork plants affected include Smithfield Foods Inc.'s Tar Heel, N.C., and Milan, Mo., processing facilities and two Cargill Meat Solutions plants in Ottumwa, Iowa, and Beardstown, Ill., according to the Food Safety and Inspection Service Web site. Cold storage and distribution units made up most of the other facilities.

This move is expected to be short-lived and won’t impact U.S. pork exports to Russia, insiders claimed.

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