Agricultural News
US Pork Set to Regain Market Access to China
Fri, 19 Mar 2010 7:28:46 CDT
The United States and China have reached an agreement to reopen the Chinese market to U.S. pork and pork products, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk announced Thursday night.
"I am pleased that China affirmed in our meetings that they will base their decisions on international science-based guidelines," said Kirk in a joint USDA/USTR statement. "We look forward to working cooperatively to resolve additional issues, including a resumption of trade in beef."
Pork trade will resume immediately once both sides finalize the export documentation.
China agreed in principle to remove its ban on U.S. products in October, 2009. According to USDA, negotiations to implement that agreement have been ongoing ever since. The United States has repeatedly stressed the need for China to remove all restrictions on trade in pork products related to the H1N1 virus because there is no risk to humans from consuming pork and pork products.
On Thursday, the Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China (AQSIQ) accepted the U.S. proposal to resume exports of U.S. pork, following meetings between Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services James Miller, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Agricultural Affairs Jim Murphy and Chinese officials in Beijing earlier this week.
The National Pork Producers are happy with this announcement from China. You can click on the Listen Bar to hear reaction from their President in a special report offered by Stewart Doan of Agri-Pulse.
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