Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 4/17/19

The National Pork Producers Council is hoping Beijing will lift its ban on ractopamine as part of a trade agreement with Washington, in addition to dropping a 50 percent retaliatory tariff on U.S. pork exports, NPPC spokesperson Jim Monroe said Tuesday, per Pro Trade's Doug Palmer.

The controversial feed additive, which helps livestock gain weight, is commonly used in the U.S. but banned in China and other countries because of health concerns. The FDA approved ractopamine for use in commercial swine production two decades ago.

Export markets: Reuters reported Tuesday that China was expected to boost U.S. pork purchases as part of the deal — but not lift the ractopamine ban. While 26 countries have approved the use of the additive in hog production, another 75 nations allow imports of ractopamine-fed pork, Monroe noted.

The swine fever factor: "At a time when China is experiencing a dramatic drop in domestic production of a meat that is a staple of the Chinese diet, you would hope they would change their position on ractopamine, particularly when it has been declared safe by so many food safety experts," he said in an email, referring to the outbreak of African swine fever in China.