December 30, 2013

US and China continue negotiation on beef trade

With the intention of restoring market access of US beef  to China by the middle of next year, the US and China will continue with negotiation, the USDA reported.

The deal was part of a trade-off to open the US to Chinese chicken exports. In August, the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service said China's poultry processing systems are equivalent to systems in the US, which means China may export processed chicken to the US if the product is fully cooked before export. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack spoke of lifting the ban on Chinese poultry due to avian influenza even though H5N1 has re-emerged in China.

The developments came during the 24th US-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT), which concluded recently in Beijing. The JCCT is the highest level bilateral forum for the resolution of trade and investment issues between the US and China. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and US Trade Representative Michael Froman co-chaired the JCCT with China's Vice Premier Wang Yang.