December 25, 2019, The Chinese Customs released an
application process for farmers interested in exporting cooked Chinese poultry
to the US. The application has been released after the United States has amended
the Federal poultry inspection regulation and has added China as eligible to
export poultry product to the US. In order to be eligible for poultry export,
the farmers have to make sure that their duck or chicken products meet the
American standards, register with the US Department of Agriculture and have
undergone the official inspection.
Before the phase one deal between China and the US,
the Food Safety and Inspection Service published its final rule in November,
allowing the Chinese cooked poultry to enter the United States from Dec 8. In
this rule, only those poultry products have been allowed which are from birds
slaughtered in the PRC. The Food Safety and Inspection Service( FSIS) has
audited the PRC Poultry Inspection System for many years and has concluded that
the PRC’s system is equivalent to the United States’ Inspection system for
poultry and poultry products. Therefore, FSIS has amended its poultry product
inspection regulation to permit imports from the PRC of poultry products,
derived from birds slaughtered in PRC.
Besides complying with FSIS regulations the
exporting country products must also comply with all other applicable
requirements of the US, including those of APHIS’s regulations, which are to
control the spread of specific animal disease. Furthermore, under this rule,
all poultry or poultry products exported to the United States from the PRC will
be subject to re-inspection by FSIS at the United States ports of entry for,
transportation damaged, product and container defect, labeling, proper
certification, general condition, and accurate count. FSIS will also conduct
other types of reinspection activities such as sampling, testing products to
defect any drug or chemical residue or pathogens that may render the product
unsafe.
Impact of Chinese poultry export to the US:
The access of Chinese poultry farmers to the US
market will not only help in improving the exports of Chinese poultry products
but will also create new opportunities for the local enterprises. Since the US
is the largest consumer of poultry products in the world, its market holds
great potential for Chinese poultry farmers. Furthermore, access to the US
market will allow easy access to other countries as the trust of Chinese
poultry products will be regained.