U.S. chicken giant Sanderson Farms Inc. has kick-started exports to China after a ban on American poultry supplies was lifted last month, Bloomberg News reported yesterday.

The company earlier this month sent its first container of chicken feet to China since the 2015 ban and is loading another 12 boxes this week, said chief executive officer Joe Sanderson. That’s even as the Asian nation still has duties in place on American supplies. The third-largest U.S. chicken producer expects the 35 percent tariffs will be removed next year, helping accelerate exports.

China lifted its ban on U.S. poultry last month and later approved imports from 172 American plants. China imposed the embargo in 2015 following an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

“We actually started packing paws Nov. 25 and our Moltrie plant loaded the first container Dec. 5 to export to China,” Sanderson said in an interview, referring to a facility in Georgia. “It’s a full container, and actually this week we will load 12 more containers out of various plants.”

Sanderson said it expected Chinese tariffs to be lifted within 60 to 90 days after the signing of phase one deal in January. That will help the company boost sales.

U.S. poultry exports to China are projected to top US$1 billion a year, according to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. At their peak, poultry shipments to the Asian nation were US$722 million for chicken and US$71 million for turkey, data compiled by industry associations show.

Sanderson is selling the chicken paws to private buyers in China and is already in talks for deals on other cuts, the CEO said. The company received inquiries for parts including whole legs, leg quarters and wings, he said in the interview.

(SD-Agencies)