July 17, 2007

China agrees talks with US on pork, poultry trade

China has agreed to send a delegation in the United States for talks on why it has halted pork and poultry imports from 11 US production plants over the past six weeks, a US Department of Agriculture spokesman said Monday (July 16).

USDA spokesman Keith Williams said a date has not yet been set for the meetings, but he believes the Chinese delegation will come sometime in the "next two or three months."

While China temporarily suspended imports from four of 11 plants, it "indefinitely" de-listed the other seven, Williams said.

Williams would not comment on the reasons why China suspended or de-listed the US pork and poultry plants, nor would he name the companies that owned the plants.

The Associated Press reported Monday (July 16) out of Beijing that Tyson Foods Inc. (TSN), Sanderson Farms, Inc. (SAFM) and Cargill Inc. were three of the US companies affected by China's actions. The AP said China claimed to have found salmonella contamination in frozen poultry products sent by Tyson.

Williams said USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service sent a letter to China on July 5 asking for copies of test results that China completed on US poultry and pork products.