March 7, 2012

China bans Vietnamese meat, meat products

China will not allow imports of poultry, pigs and cattle as well as their products from Vietnam, stated the country's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

The move was taken in order to protect the Chinese animals from being infected with animal diseases, which currently occur in a number of Vietnamese cities, and provinces, said the administration in a statement sent to Vietnam's Ministry of Industry and Trade.

China also stops imports of these products from the third countries via Vietnam, the statement said.

Currently animal diseases are reported to re-appear in 13 provinces and cities. Poultry in Ha Tinh, Quang Nam, Quang Tri, Hai Duong, Thai Nguyen, Bac Ninh, Thanh Hoa, Nam Dinh and Quang Ninh are under attack of bird flu while pigs and cattle in Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Ha Nam and Ha Giang are infested with foot-and-mouth disease.

The blue ear disease was reported to occur in the northern province of Lao Cai.