The United States announced on March 23 an agreement under which China will not impose any restrictions on U.S. poultry imports in the event of a detection of low pathogenic avian influenza, high pathogenic avian influenza and virulent Newcastle disease.
“The agreement with China allows trade of poultry products to continue from unaffected regions of the country should the U.S. detect any future cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza or virulent Newcastle disease,” the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) press release reads. “This is because the U.S. demonstrated to China their ability to effectively regionalize for avian influenza, allowing safe trade from free zones. In return, the U.S. agrees to implement regionalization for Chinese poultry products once China has officially recognized free-zones in place. Both countries also agree not to impose trade restrictions on each other for findings of low pathogenic avian influenza.”
USDA and China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC) signed the agreement on March 13. China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs signed the agreement on March 12.
“This action is part of the continuing progress to implement the U.S.-China Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement,” APHIS’s press release said. “The agreement entered into force on February 14, 2020, and this poultry regionalization action builds upon measures that were previously announced on February 25 and March 10.”
