CHINA has approved the import of all poultry and poultry products from the United States, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said on its website yesterday.

China had banned all trade in poultry products from the United States since 2015 due to outbreaks of avian influenza there.

China approved poultry meat product imports in November 2019 amid the process of finalizing a limited trade deal with the United States.

The new announcement would also allow for the import of live birds, said Li Jinghui of the China Poultry Association, benefiting companies including Aviagen and Cobb-Vantress Inc., both based in the United States and among the world’s biggest poultry breeding companies.

The United States is the world’s top producer of poultry breeding stock. China is the world’s second-largest poultry producer and has been ramping up output to fill a meat shortage after a disease epidemic decimated its pig herd.

China’s government told local authorities Saturday to allow companies involved in feed production and poultry slaughtering to resume work as soon as possible and overcome disruptions caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

Local authorities should ensure transport runs smoothly between cities and the countryside and should provide tax rebates, low interest rates and other financial support to help the companies, regulators said in a joint statement.(SD-Agencies)