Canada Pushes to Get China Meat Exports Resumed This Week

(Bloomberg) -- Canadian authorities are hoping to convince China to lift a ban on meat shipments as early as this week, according to livestock groups.

The government is “pushing to try and get it open this week,” Dennis Laycraft, executive vice president of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association, said by telephone. Canada presented an action plan to China that addresses some of the Asian nation’s concerns and is waiting for a response, said Gary Stordy, a spokesman for the Canadian Pork Council.

In an emailed response, Canada’s Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said only that “our goal is to resume trade in meat exports to China as soon as possible.” Last week, Canadian officials said they were working hard to reassure their Chinese partners.

China suspended all Canadian meat shipments on June 25 after authorities discovered a certificate on a pork cargo had been forged. Canadian and Chinese officials launched investigations into the origin, although Bibeau, said she hoped to restore exports before the investigation was complete.

“These things take a little longer than advertised, but there’s been an enormous amount of effort to make sure all the information that’s necessary has been submitted and we’ll be waiting and watching closely this week,” Laycraft said.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ashley Robinson in Winnipeg (Non BLP Loc) at arobinson193@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: James Attwood at jattwood3@bloomberg.net, Patrick McKiernan

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