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China

Chinese Authorities Agree To Delay
New Labeling Regulations

According to USDA officials in Beijing, Chinese quarantine authorities have agreed to delay the strict implementation of the new mandatory labeling regulations for wholesale meat and poultry imports. Although the promise is verbal at this point, USDA-Beijing is advising shippers to continue with shipments, and report any problems of access to USMEF in Denver or to its regional offices. AQSIQ officials told USTR Ambassador Johnson that the implementation delay would last for six months, during which time exporters should develop stick-on bilingual labels. According to AQSIQ, the new bilingual labels must be printed on boxes by the expiration of the transition period, or six months from October 1. USDA-Beijing has sent a letter of confirmation to AQSIQ on the postponement of the enforcement, although as of September 27th, there had been no response. AQSIQ officials also told Ambassador Johnson that inspectors would not enforce the inner packaging labeling rule for raw meat. USDA is seeking a written confirmation of this policy clarification as well. Chinese AQSIQ authorities also specified a process by which de-listed US meat plants could re-gain export eligibility to China.

USMEF and USDA are currently working on a standard design format for the new label. USMEF plans to submit this design to AQSIQ for approval, so that it may serve as a model for those exporters presently not using a bilingual export label. Recommendations and suggestions should be sent to Paul Clayton (pclayton@usmef.org or (303) 623-6328) in USMEF’s Denver headquarters.

The China trade was cautious this week, with huge inventories building in Hong Kong as products go unsold due to border uncertainty and high transportation fees from Hong Kong to China. Ambassador Johnson’s meeting was seen as a positive sign that China would like to clear up nagging bilateral trade issues ahead of President Jiang Zi Min’s scheduled October 25th visit to President Bush’s Crawford, Texas ranch. During Johnson’s visit, he also secured a verbal promise that new GMO rules on soybeans would not hinder trade, and made progress on access issues concerning courier services and the licensing of foreign insurance companies.

Click for USMEF Annual Board of Directors Meeting Information and Registration Form; November 6-8, 2002 - Long Beach, California