Imports of U. S. poultry should be reduced as U. S. producers have yet to comply with Russian safety laws, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said.

RIA Novosti reported on Tuesday that Putin said in an annual speech delivered to the lower house of Russian parliament, "Three or four years ago Russia imported 1.3 million tons of poultry from the United States. In 2010 the quota is 600,000 tons. It should be further reduced because chlorine requirements have not been met."

It was also reported that Russia banned imports of poultry cleansed with chlorine from Jan. 1.

The ban on chlorine would raise prices on imported poultry and hurt U. S. exporters, U. S. trade negotiators have said.

It was also noted by the news reports that Putin's remarks seem to contradict Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who said in January, "Technologically, American poultry producers are prepared to observe (Russian) standards." (With Inputs from Agencies)