February 22, 2013

China wants third party verification of US pork imports

From March 1, China wants a third party to verify that US pork imports are free from ractopamine, a spokesman for the US Meat Export Federation spokesman said.

"There has been communication from the China regulatory agency with US officials that suggests this will be a March 1 requirement," said Joe Schuele, communications director of USMEF, a trade association for US meat producers.

US pork exports to China, including Hong Kong, were valued at US$886 million last year, according to the USDA. The Chinese action follows a Russian ban on US beef, pork and turkey imports on February 11 due to ractopamine.

China already bans pork containing ractopamine, and in the past has barred imports from some US companies that shipped meat with trace amounts of the feed additive. Beijing maintains that there are serious concerns about the safety of ractopamine.

Lean hog futures at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange fell sharply on rumors of the Chinese action, and extended losses in after-hours trading following the statement by the USMEF official to Reuters.