Countdown to Massive Phase One Chinese Agricultural Purchases

WASHINGTON, DC – As the start date for the Phase One trade agreement between the United States and China approaches (February 14, 2020), questions still abound on what the Chinese are agreeing to buy from the U.S. in 2020 and 2021. According to the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA), for this calendar year (2020), China has committed to import a total of $36.5 billion worth of agricultural and food products and $43.5 billion in 2021. Specifically for the U.S. beef industry, it represents more than just a sales figure. China agreed to remove age restrictions for the import of U.S. beef and beef products upon completion of a science-based risk assessment; recognize the U.S. beef and beef product traceability system, and adopt internationally accepted maximum residue levels for three widely used veterinary drugs. For pork, China committed to expanding the number of pork products allowed for import, while for poultry, it committed to finalizing a regionalization protocol for poultry diseases to minimize future trade disruptions and to abide by World Animal Health (OIE) standards for international trade of poultry products.