Source:  Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE.COM, 8/5/09

The Senate on Tuesday passed its version of a funding bill for USDA and FDA which would allow chicken imports from China with additional oversight.

The Senate bill would require approval of plants in China that wish to export to the United States, plus annual inspections of those plants and increased inspection of incoming product at U.S. ports, according to Reuters.

The House-passed version of the bill would keep current restrictions on Chinese chicken imports in place.

The World Trade Organization last week agreed to China's request that it investigate and rule on whether the U.S. ban violates international trade rules. 

The Senate bill would also cut in half — to $7.3 million — funding for USDA's voluntary National Animal Identification System (NAIS). The House version of the bill eliminated funding for the program all together.

The $125 billion appropriations bill now goes to a House-Senate conference committee to hash out differences between the two versions of the legislation.

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