China lifts Canadian beef and pork trade suspension
The suspension began on 25 June when Chinese authorities found residue of banned feed additive ractopamine in a batch of pork being exported to China from Canada. According to a Chinese Embassy in Canada statement on the situation, the number of counterfeit certificates found has grown significantly, leading to the halting of export certificates to China for all pork and beef products.
The Canadian Meat Council (CMC) welcomed the decision to remove the suspension. In September it said that the suspension had cost Canadian producers $100m in lost revenue.
“We would like to express our appreciation to the Government of Canada for all of their efforts both in Ottawa and in Beijing as they worked to find a resolution to this issue. In particular, we greatly appreciated the leadership of the Prime Minister, Ministers Bibeau, Carr, Freeland and Ambassador Barton” said CMC president Chris White.
“China is a key trading partner for Canada and our Canadian meat products had made significant gains in China over recent years due to the ongoing marketing efforts of our member companies and market promotion associations. China was the second-largest market for Canadian pork and the fifth largest for beef.
“Our long-standing trade relationship with China is very important to both sides and this represents an important step for both countries,” he added. “This is great news, especially on the eve of an industry-led mission to China that CMC has organized to meet with Chinese officials at all key ports where product lands to ensure a smooth operation moving forward.”
Canadian Pork Council (CPC) chairman Rick Bergmann added: “We are very appreciative of the efforts of government officials to help restore reliable access to China. We’d like to thank Canadian Agriculture and Agri-food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and International Trade Diversification Minister Jim Carr for the leadership they have shown in working to resolve this issue. We look forward to working with Ambassador Barton to further strengthen Canadian-Chinese relations.”
Second vice-chair René Roy said this news is very timely as Chinese pork supplies have been significantly reduced by an outbreak of African Swine Fever. “Producers look forward to help meet the demands of Chinese consumers for wholesome, high-quality pork,” added Roy.
CPC’s first vice-chair Hans Kristensen is expected to travel to China with representatives from Canada’s red meat industry including Canada Pork International and the CMC. “This mission to China is very timely and will allow us to deepen our understanding of the market’s requirements and strengthen our relationships with Chinese importers,” said Kristensen.
