July 7, 2020

China bans meat imports from several origins during COVID-19 pandemic

A customs document showed that China has halted meat imports from various processing plants in many countries in the past month, as the global COVID-19 pandemic hit the world's top meat processors, Reuters reported.

On July 4, China most recently banned imports from two more Brazilian pork processing plants and a pork plant owned by German meat producer Westfleisch, according to a list on the website of the General Administration of Customs, updated over the weekend.

The move comes as COVID-19 infections have reached more than 11.35 million globally, with 530,858​​ deaths.

China's customs office had already suspended pork imports from plants owned by German meat producer Tönnies, and imports of poultry products from a plant owned by US-based meat processor Tyson Inc.

Imports of meat from three plants in Brazil also got banned over concerns about the novel coronavirus.

Plants of German food company Tönnies Group that has been hit by the novel coronavirus suspend exports of pork products to China from June 17.

From July 4, China suspends pork imports from Westfleisch SCE mbH Meat Center Coesfeld, a plant owned by German meat producer Westfleisch, Brazilian food company BRF SA and a JBS-owned Seara brand plant.