China Gives Greenlight to US Beef Imports
CHINA - China began importing US beef on Tuesday in fulfilling its pledge on the US-China 100-day action plan to boost bilateral economic ties.
22 June 2017
2 minute read
The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, announced on its website that eligible US beef has been allowed to enter China since 20 June. It is the first such move since 2003.
The Chinese authority published relevant quality and quarantine details Tuesday. The age of the beef cattle should be younger than 30 months. Beef importers should be registered at the Certification and Accreditation Administration of China.
Cattle must be traceable to their birth farm. Beef destined for China must be sourced from cattle that were born, raised and slaughtered in the United States, or cattle that were imported from Canada and Mexico before being slaughtered in the United States.
Offspring of cattle with or suspected with Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as mad cow disease, is banned. Other details include veterinary drug regulations as well as packaging and shipment standards.
During a meeting at the Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in April, leaders of the two nations agreed to establish a comprehensive economic dialogue and initiate a 100-day plan to boost bilateral economic cooperation.
As the results of the action plan, China will allow imports of US beef and the United States will import poultry from China. Most of the agreements are expected to be implemented by 16 July.
China imposed a ban on US beef in December 2003 after mad cow disease was found in US cattle. Before the ban, the United States was China's largest supplier of imported beef.
China has become one of the largest import markets for beef. Lifting the ban means new opportunities for the US cattle producers, who will be regaining access to an enormous market with an ever-expanding middle class.
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