On the same day as the U.S.-China summit, Chinese authorities temporarily restored the export qualifications of hundreds of U.S. beef exporters, only to revoke them shortly after, creating confusion.
According to Yonhap News Agency on May 14, the General Administration of Customs of China changed the export registration status of over 400 U.S. beef slaughter and processing plants from 'expired' to 'valid.' These companies had not renewed their five-year export registration, granted between March 2020 and April 2021, for more than a year.
This change sparked optimism in the U.S. livestock industry regarding the resumption of exports to China, including facilities owned by major food companies Tyson Foods and Cargill.
However, shortly after reports emerged, the registration status on the customs administration's website reverted back to '(permit) expired.' As a result, the hopes of U.S. beef exporters turned to uncertainty within just a few hours.
The White House had previously indicated that this issue could be discussed at the U.S.-China summit. Reuters reported that the General Administration of Customs did not respond to inquiries regarding the reason for the change in permit status.
Market analysts suggest that this move may indicate China is using the import of agricultural products as a bargaining chip in trade negotiations with the U.S.
U.S. beef exports to China peaked at $1.7 billion in 2022 but fell to about $500 million last year.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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