000363 Poultry Happy with China Trade Accord

Washington - U.S. poultry industry leaders hailed the news that China is implementing an agreement made last year to open its market to meat and poultry products from the United States.

“China is a land of enormous potential for American poultry producers,” said John Bekkers, Chairman of the National Chicken Council. “China's implementation of the agreement means sales for the industry and jobs for American workers.”

Turkey producers echoed the sentiment. “The turkey industry is pleased with the Chinese government's decision to open this market to poultry products,” said National Turkey Federation Chairman Jerry Jerome. “This will allow the turkey industry to provide an economical protein to feed the population and provide the industry an opportunity to grow its export market.”

The Chinese inspection and quarantine service issued Tuesday a set of instructions on imports of citrus, wheat, meat and poultry under the 1999 Agreement on U.S.-China Agricultural Cooperation.

“With the issuance of circulars, the Chinese are showing that they intend to live up to their agreement and allow our products in,” said Jim Sumner, President of the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council.

In 1999, U.S. exporters shipped 735,137 metric tons of chicken, turkey, duck and related products to Hong Kong and China valued at $455 million, making China Hong/Kong the leading marking for U.S. poultry exports, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

China agreed to lower its tariff on poultry imports from 20% of value to 10% over four years. China will also recognize inspection by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as equivalent to its own, eliminate license provisions that have prevented the sale of U.S. poultry at retail, and will forego a tariff-rate quota (TRQ) for poultry and red meat above a certain quantity.

“Progress in international trade agreements is difficult to achieve,” said Bekkers, who is also president and chief operating office of Gold Kist Inc., the nation's second-largest chicken company. “Thus, we are appreciative to all of the dedicated officials at the U.S. Trade Representative's Office and at the U.S. Department of Agriculture who worked so long and hard on our behalf.”

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