December 3, 2009

US pork exports should resume soon to China

The US should be able to resume exporting pork to China soon now that the country has made an initial announcement that it is lifting its ban, US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Wednesday (December 2).

"It is our hope and belief that these...exports (to China) will begin taking place, hopefully, in the very near term," Vilsack said.

China banned US pork earlier this year after a human outbreak AH1N1 influenza.

China was a major importer of pork in 2008, according to USDA data that showed $580 million of US pork exports to the country.

The US and international scientists have said studies show that the AH1N1 virus cannot be transmitted by eating pork.