Australia Approves U.S. Pork Imports, But Product Must Be Further Processed
US - Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) welcomed Australia's announcement May 10 that it would be implementing its import risk assessment to allow imports from the United States of processed pork and frozen, unprocessed pork, for further processing., reported Bureau of National Affairs (BNA).
Australia Approves U.S. Pork Imports, But Product Must Be Further Processed - US - Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) welcomed Australia's announcement May 10 that it would be implementing its import risk assessment to allow imports from the United States of processed pork and frozen, unprocessed pork, for further processing., reported Bureau of National Affairs (BNA).
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Previously, Australia had banned imports of U.S. pork because of alleged sanitary issues.
According to BNA, Grassley said that the science-based decision would allow producers in Iowa to compete in the Australian market with their counterparts in Australia, Canada, Denmark, and New Zealand. "On two occasions, I expressed my concerns to Australia's Ambassador to the United States that Australia base its determination upon science, and I commend Australian quarantine officials for doing just that," Grassley said.
"This is great news for America's pork producers," NPPC President Keith Berry said in a May 10 press statement.
"There is significant potential in Australia for U.S. pork exports, which is why NPPC has been working tirelessly to obtain access to this market," Berry said.
Even so, Berry said in a press statement that U.S. pork producers are "extremely disappointed" that the risk assessment does not allow any U.S. pork to be used in Australia without some further processing. However, he added that this battle will be fought another day. Even with the restrictions, Iowa State University Economist Dermot Hayes estimates that Australia could import more than $50 million in U.S. pork every year, the NPPC said.
The NPPC conditioned its support of the U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement on the completion of sanitary and phytosanitary procedures (SPS), including a final risk assessment, on U.S. pork by Australian regulators.
The U.S.-Australia FTA will be signed May 18.
Source: National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) - 13th May 2004