China suspended imports in June citing the presence of a banned additive
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
China’s months-long blockage of Canadian beef and pork is nearing its end.
“Good news for Canadian farmers today,” Prime Minister Trudeau tweeted Tuesday afternoon. “Canadian pork and beef exports will resume to China. Thanks to Ambassador (Dominic) Barton and the Canadian meat industry for their work on re-opening this important market for our meat producers and their families.”
It remains unclear when China will officially lift the ban.
Canada’s beef and pork exports to China in 2018 totaled more than $600 million.
China suspended all shipments of Canadian meat in June because it found amounts of ractopamine, a feed additive that China banned in 1998, in a batch of Canadian pork.
At the time, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency confirmed it identified an issue involving forged export certificates that could affect Canadian beef and pork destined for China.
Canada’s meat sector welcomed the reopening of the Chinese market.
“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,” Chris White, president of the Canadian Meat Council, said in a statement.
With Canadian beef and pork once again destined for China, the ag focus between the two countries remains on canola.
China blocked imports of Canadian canola in March because of “dangerous pests” found in shipments and hasn’t purchased any Canadian canola since.
The canola industry hopes it will benefit from the restored access for Canadian meat.
“Canola seed exports to China remain blocked,” the Canola Council of Canada told Farms.com in an emailed statement. “We hope this good news for the livestock industry helps create momentum to restore access for what used to be Canada’s most valuable export to China – canola.”