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China Increases U.S. Food Inspections

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By JOE McDONALD, The Associated Press

Published: September 18, 2007

BEIJING - China sharply increased inspections of imported U.S. food, escalating a dispute with Washington over product safety and leaving American beef piling up in warehouses and delaying shipments of black pepper and other goods.

Authorities who used to inspect as little as 5 percent of imported goods now check every shipment of American poultry, snack food and other products, companies and trade groups say.

'I suspect they are doing this to keep the pressure on the United States to relent on some of these food safety disputes, because the U.S. is taking a very tough stand on Chinese products,' said James Rice, the China manager for Tyson Foods Inc., the world's largest meat processor.
Chinese authorities banned chicken imports from two Tyson plants in June after salmonella was found in shipments, Rice said. Tyson, which sells about $200 million in chicken to China every year, still was allowed to import from its 167 other facilities, he said.

The inspections are the latest volley after a series of large-scale product recalls - from bad pet food to dangerous toothpaste and toys - raised scrutiny of Chinese-made products in America.

On Saturday, Beijing said it rejected 18.4 tons of U.S. pork because it contained ractopamine, a drug used by hog farmers to produce leaner meat but is banned in China.

The United States restricted imports from China of five types of seafood in July after tests found unapproved drugs - a move Beijing criticized as improper and excessive.

The tougher Chinese inspection regime is forcing importers and retailers to adjust shipping and delivery schedules, though so far they said the delays have not harmed their bottom lines.

The moves add to tensions in a relationship strained by China's multibillion-dollar trade surplus with the United States. Chinese officials suggested the U.S. government might be using safety concerns as an excuse to block imports from China.

A U.S. Embassy spokeswoman declined to comment on whether Washington has complained about the increased inspections.

China is a major market for U.S. soybeans and chicken - though there appeared to be no immediate effect on soy shipments - and sales of citrus, beef and processed food also are growing.

It is unclear how much U.S. food has been rejected in China's latest campaign or whether the rate has increased. China's product safety agency, the Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, did not respond to a request for comment.

The agency, known as AQSIQ, said in June that it would step up inspections of U.S. food for chemical or biological contamination. It cited the discovery of excessive bacteria and sulfur dioxide in raisins, dried oranges and health care products from several American companies.

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