Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says he will suggest at the annual U.S.-China trade meeting that Beijing should lift its ban on imports of U.S. poultry, imposed earlier this year when an epidemic of deadly avian influenza hit poultry flocks in the western half of the nation. “It’s an opportunity for us to educate China and to hopefully over time see a relaxation of that ban,” Vilsack told Reuters during an interview.
More than 48 million commercial fowl were lost to bird flu, including 10 percent of egg-laying hens. Table egg prices soared to record highs as a result. No cases of bird flu have been reported since mid-June. U.S. animal health officials are on alert for a possible resurgence. Wild waterfowl are believed to have spread the virus during their migrations. The USDA would like China to limit shipments from regions that are infected, rather than a blanket ban on all exports. Vilsack told Reuters he did not expect China to act on the poultry ban at this weekend’s trade sessions.