US meat sector wants ban on Chinese chicken lifted

Major US meat companies on Tuesday (Jul 28) urged Congress to remove trade barriers to Chinese poultry imports to prevent a possible retaliation on US meat exports to China.

 

A coalition of companies including Tyson Foods, JBS S.A., Cargill, Seaboard, Sanderson Farms, Pilgrim's Pride, Smithfield Foods and Hormel Foods, said it is unfair to single out China when the US offers market access to the rest of the WTO members.

 

 

Meanwhile, US Rep. Rosa DeLauro said the USDA should review its system for approving meat imports because it cedes too much control over food safety to foreign countries. Citing USDA's move earlier this decade toward allowing imports of Chinese poultry, DeLauro said this demonstrates how trade concerns can play too great a role in what should be a public health issue.

 

DeLauro is the head of the House committee that has prevented the USDA from allowing imports of Chinese chicken, and has proposed that the ban continue through 2010.

 

DeLauro said other food safety scandals in China make her doubt whether US importers could be assured Chinese poultry products had been properly cooked.

 

Two consumer groups testified the USDA should overhaul its approval process for meat imports and do more monitoring of foreign plants.

 

Japan and Europe have better approval process than the USDA, said Lori Wallach of Public Citizen, noting other regulators who accept Chinese chickens have their own inspectors overseeing the processors and doing more re-inspection at borders.

 

China has filed a WTO complaint concerning the ban, while trade groups have reported that Chinese importers have already begun to block shipments of US chickens in retaliation.

 

The coalition also includes seed company Monsanto and several trade groups such as the US Chamber of Commerce.