U.S. Pork Regains Entry into China as Sound Science Prevails

I'm pleased to say that on the heels of the recent announcement by Russia to accept U.S. pork imports, China also has now agreed to lift trade bans on U.S. pork and pork products.

Since the outbreak of the H1N1 human flu virus, many media outlets and foreign governments have ignored sound science, and instead, based news stories and trade decisions on false information about the safety of pork. These irresponsible decisions have caused a serious backlash for U.S. and Texas pork producers, costing them an estimated $2.2 billion in lost sales since the virus surfaced.

Prior to the outbreak, China imports of U.S. pork were valued at almost $275 million in 2008. The reopening of this market provides Texas pork producers, who marketed nearly 1.7 million hogs in 2008, an excellent trade opportunity. I look forward to enhanced trade relations with China and support on-going efforts to open additional markets for Texas agricultural products.

Trade Ban Lifted

It’s good to hear some positive news for our U.S. pork producers. As you know, the past year has been very rough for them. Prices were already declining when they were sent into a tailspin following the H1N1 influenza pandemic, as the world incorrectly tied the outbreak to swine.

Fortunately, good news comes to the pork industry as the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative have announced an agreement to reopen the Russian market to U.S. pork. This new opportunity provides a timely boost to this important sector of the agriculture industry during tough economic times.

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