The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) joined other ag groups in submitting comments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on the agency’s Section 301 investigation of China over its failure to live up to commitments made under the Phase One Agreement.
“China’s failure to meet its Phase One Agreement commitments over the past five years has limited U.S. agricultural exports to the Asian nation,” NPPC says.
Section 301 of the U.S. Trade Act of 1974 allows the president to take actions, including imposing tariffs, if a foreign government’s policies or practices violate an international trade agreement or are unjustified, unreasonable or discriminatory and burden or restrict U.S. commerce, NPPC shares in Capital Update.
In late October, USTR initiated the investigation for China’s failure to comply with the Jan. 15, 2020, U.S.-China Economic and Trade (Phase One) Agreement, including obligations related to agriculture. A public hearing on the matter is set for Dec. 16.
In its comments, NPPC pointed out China has not met its commitment to conduct a risk assessment on ractopamine use in pork and beef production.
“The Asian nation bans the feed additive despite its approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.N.’s food-safety standards-setting body – the Codex Alimentarius Commission – deeming ractopamine as safe and setting a maximum residue limit for it (MRLs are the maximum allowable amount of a drug or additive that can remain in food products and not be a concern for human health),” NPPC says. “Ractopamine is accepted by more than 30 countries.”
China was supposed to work with U.S. experts on a ractopamine risk assessment and form a joint working group to discuss steps to be taken based on the results of the assessment under the Phase One Agreement.
“Specific to ractopamine, which increases the amount of pork produced and lowers feed costs, China’s failure to conduct a risk assessment on the feed additive – and allow imports of pork produced with it – also restricted U.S. pork exports to a major consumer of pork,” NPPC says.
