Meat Institute testifies at US-China commission hearing
Mr. Westman discussed opportunities and constraints affecting the U.S. meat and poultry industry, the activities and programs the Meat Institute supports in China and the Institute’s work with its Chinese partners to benefit from market opportunities and concurrently enhance food safety, food security and sustainability.
“With China’s domestic production constraints and increasing demand from consumers for high quality, safe food products, the resulting import demand offers significant opportunities for U.S. agricultural exporters,” Mr. Westman said in his testimony. “The U.S. is in an excellent position to compete in the Chinse market if it can avoid unnecessary, unjustified barriers to agricultural trade.”
Furthermore, Mr. Westman detailed the means China uses, including high tariffs and sanitary and phytosanitary measures, to restrict market access for U.S. agricultural products and listed a number of U.S. meat and poultry products that are currently prohibited from being exported to the country, including prepared meat and certain pork products.
In addition, Mr. Westman identified several trade barriers and regulations – laboratory protocols, maximum residue limit tolerance restrictions and re-inspection processes, among other policies – that China could address or eliminate to bolster U.S. meat imports.
Westman’s testimony also underscored the Meat Institute’s current work in China through its involvement in the U.S.-China Agriculture and Food Partnership (AFP).
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