Source: Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE, 11/29/16


With U.S.-Chinese trade and commerce talks underway in Washington, Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) is publicly calling for an end to trade restrictions by China on certain U.S. pork and poultry products.

In a letter sent Monday, Franken pressed U.S. trade officials to closely engage their Chinese counterparts at the 2016 Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade on ending this trade policy, and he said that lifting restrictions would be good for both U.S. producers and Chinese consumers.

"While I believe that sanitary and phytosanitary standards are critical to protecting a nation's food supply, it appears some of China's current restrictions on poultry and pork have a questionable scientific basis and seem to be targeted toward blocking U.S. exports rather than ensuring food safety," Franken wrote in his letter to Trade Representative Michael Froman and Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker. "This issue is particularly important to U.S. producers of certain offal and other poultry and pork products that are of limited value in the U.S. market. In some cases, these products may be highly valued by Chinese consumers. Allowing exports of these products would be favorable for both U.S. producers, who currently earn little from these products, and for Chinese consumers, who could get a product they value —potentially at lower prices."

Earlier this year, Franken held a roundtable discussion at the Minnesota Farmers Union in St. Paul, where he heard strong concerns from local ag producers about China's pork and poultry trade policy.

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