Pork Trade with China to Resume

(NAFB) – U.S. Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk announced Thursday that the U.S. and China have reached an agreement to reopen the Chinese market to U.S. pork and pork products. Vilsack says discussions during an October trip to China laid the groundwork for reopening the market and called the resolution excellent news for the nation’s hog producers. Kirk says China has affirmed that they will base their decisions on international science-based guidelines – and noted he looks forward to working to resolve additional issues – including a resumption of beef trade. Pork trade will resume immediately once export documentation is finalized by both sides.

According to USDA – 20-percent of U.S. pork production was exported in 2009. Before trade constraints tied to H1N1 – in 2008 – U.S. pork and pork variety meat exports to China were valued at nearly 275-million dollars. It was the seventh largest market for the U.S. – accounting for six-percent of U.S. pork and pork variety meat exports.