Meat Groups Withhold Judgment on China

March 24, 2000

Four U.S. meat groups say they'll wait to see how smoothly exports to China work before making any judgment on China's new import rules that opened the doors wider to more trade with the United States. The real test, say the groups, will come "when and if there is an uninterrupted flow of product to China."

The Chinese government published meat import rules this week as part of the bilateral agreement with the United States last year. The bilateral agreement does not determine China's acceptance into the World Trade Organization; the rules become effective immediately with USDA's acceptance.But the National Pork Producers Council, National Cattlemen's Beef Association, U.S. Meat Export Federation and American Meat Institute said the rules are only one piece of a larger trade deal that must include congressional approval of permanent normal trade relations with China to gain the full benefit of increased exports to China.

"How widely these circulars (rules) have been disseminated to Chinese importers and Chinese port inspectors and consequently the extent to which the uncertainty surrounding the import requirements have been eliminated will determine the value of this agreement," the groups said in a statement. The bilateral agreement, signed last April, concerns sanitary and phytosanitary issues, the groups continued.

With respect to meat, China agreed to accept pork, beef and poultry from any USDA-approved plant for import and distribution. The meat industry groups are concerned that a delay in carrying out the agreement will have a negative effect for the PNTR vote in Congress.They said full and complete implementation of the bilateral agreement would create "much needed momentum" for a positive vote in Congress.