International trade

Live swine exports to China for genetics are going to resume, having been suspended since April 2009. Pending H1N1 testing, live swine will start being imported into China to help them build up their country's breeding programs.

"Unfortunately, for an industry such as purebred swine breeding stock, the big-picture political crossfire that exists between countries in general overshadowed the relevance and need for releasing the export ban," says [National Swine Registry CEO Darrell Anderson], noting the agreement for H1N1 testing was also a result of political necessity.

UK national statistics from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs were recently updated, showing numbers on the slaughter of cattle, sheep and pigs. Key data for each industry slaughterings increased: Cattle 5%, Sheep 9%, and Pigs 9%. Production also increased for each industry increased: Cattle 5%, Sheep 11%, and Pigs 10%.

Yes, China is a large market for US agricultural products. And this puts China in the driver's seat when US companies want to participate.

US farmers lose billions of dollars in sales each year because of China’s import restrictions on wheat, poultry, pork, cotton and other food and agricultural products, according to a recently released study from the US International Trade Commission. “China is our number one market for US agricultural product exports, but China’s unjustified trade barriers are blocking some of our goods such as wheat and beef,” Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus said in response to the new International Trade Commission study.

This study, published March 2011, describes government policies and other factors affecting "the conditions of competition in China’s agricultural market and trade".