Business
22:17, 18-Jul-2017
China-US 100-day action plan looks to resume chicken trade
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Under the US-China 100-day action plan which began in April, Beijing agreed to accept US beef imports in exchange for Washington accepting cooked chicken imports from China.
Since 2015, China has blocked US chicken products from crossing its borders, because of an outbreak of bird flu in Minnesota.
Jim Sumner from the US Egg Export Council said "we want access to the China market, so we think it's only fair that they should have access to our market.”
Brian Ronholm, a former official who used to oversee food inspections for the US Agriculture department, said the deal brings Beijing one step closer to exporting chicken not just to Americans, but beyond.
"With the food scandals of the last decade or so for them, the ultimate goal is re-establishing credibility in the world market when it comes to food safety. And achieving equivalency to the status with the US helps them in that process,” Ronholm said.
The US has declared four Chinese plants have met safety standards equivalent to American facilities, and it has proposed a rule that would also allow them to export chickens raised and slaughtered in China to the US. Ultimately, the White House will control when that rule is approved.