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It’s been more than a year since China imposed a ban on Canadian beef imports following a case of atypical BSE (mad cow disease) in a cow in central Alberta and nothing has happened. indicates when it could be lifted.
Unlike the classic variant of the neurological disorder, which is largely linked to contaminated feed, atypical BSE is considered to occur naturally, infrequently and spontaneously, in older cattle.
South Korea and the Philippines also instituted import bans on Canadian beef after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency reported the case in late 2021. These restrictions were lifted in January 2022.
Chris White, president and CEO of the Canadian Meat Council, said Canadian officials had provided all relevant and requested information to their Chinese counterparts.
“We don’t have a clear line of sight on what the Chinese authorities think. What is encouraging is that…the CFIA, our embassy in Beijing, did everything that was asked of them by Chinese officials,” he said. “They gave them all the information they asked for. They gave them all the analysis, the scientific data, so there is nothing more that Canada, at this stage, can provide to the Chinese authorities.
White said the situation was frustrating with no feedback from China.
“It’s just the reality when a foreign government makes a decision that they believe is in their best interest,” he said, adding that on the positive side, other countries have lifted their restrictions and the China has lifted cases of atypical cases from other countries. BSE.
Brazil, China’s largest supplier of beef products, had its exports suspended in July 2019 and again in 2021 following two separate reports of atypical BSE cases in a total of three animals.
In both cases, trade restrictions were lifted within days.
Ireland also had its beef exports banned by China in May 2020 following the detection of an atypical case of BSE.
Ireland announced on January 5 that the export ban had been lifted.
In a press release announcing the lifting of the ban, Irish Minister of State Martin Heydon thanked the country’s ambassador for helping to resolve the issue.
White said the appointment of Canadian ambassador to China Jennifer May in September would likely help. The position was vacant for most of 2022.
White said he has raised the export ban with China’s ambassador to Canada and hopes the recent lifting of COVID restrictions will allow in-person visits to the country to advocate for Canadian beef products.
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