China is in talks with the United States to allow beef imports from cattle up to 30 months old, a spokesman forthe country’s top quality watchdog said on last Friday.

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine held talks withthe US Department of Agriculture and the Office of the United States Trade Representative to resume the imports of beef from cattle up to 30 months old. The talks were held during the 2013 US-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade in November, Chen Xitong,spokesman for the quality watchdog, said during a media conference.

Talks are still ongoing over some “technological issues,” Chen said.

Chinese authorities initially banned all US beef imports when mad cow disease was found in the United States in 2003.

In 2006, China lifted the ban on beef imports from cattle up to 30 months old and five kinds of by-products.
However, US beef imports to China continue to stagnate due to the fact that US authorities, whoinsisted that China lift the ban on all beef imports and products, refused to issue sanitarycertificates for beef from cattle up to 30 months old, according to the quality watchdog.

Michael Boddington from Asian Agribusiness Consulting (AAC) has been involved in agribusiness in Asia since 2000. AAC has office both in Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City and China Beijing. So AAC has a thorough understanding of the Viet Nam and China aqua industry and produces up-to-date research reports on the market. We can offer insights on supply and demand trends and comments on the future structure of Asian agribusiness. If you would like to know more please email  michael@boddingtonconsulting.com 

 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2013-11/29/content_17141681.htm