1st May 2009
Bridges Trade BioRes - Swine Flu Triggers String of Pork Import Bans
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Bridges Trade BioRes
Several countries have moved to implement bans on pork products from Mexico and parts of the US as global swine flu infections continue to rise. But critics in the two countries argue that the bans are unfounded, and health officials agree the illness cannot be contracted by eating pork.
Since it was first detected in Mexico last month, swine influenza (A/H1N1) infections have spread around the globe to countries including the US, Canada, Germany, Spain, and New Zealand. The US confirmed its first swine flu-related death on 29 April.
Citing public health and safety concerns, countries such as China, the Philippines, and the United Arab Emirates have implemented bans on Mexican and US pork or pork products. Russia has gone a step further by banning all meat and meat products from Mexico and select US states.
China, Russia bans could cost over US$1 billion per year
China, which imported US$270 million worth of pork in 2008, imposed an immediate ban on pork from Mexico and three US states on 27 April. Officials insist that a ban is necessary to rule out any risk of facing a situation similar to the 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak. According to a joint statement from the Ministry of Agriculture and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine, any shipments already in transit would be tested for the virus before entry.
Russia, a major market for US meat exports, has implemented a more aggressive ban. In addition to implementing a ban on pork products from Mexico and several Latin American and Caribbean countries, Rosselkhodnadzor - Russia’s veterinary watchdog - has now banned imports of all types of livestock and meat products from Texas, Kansas, California, New York and Ohio.
In 2008, US meat producers exported US$836 million worth of poultry to Russia, US$436 million worth of pork products and US$75 million worth of beef.
Required scientific evidence not present: USTR
Under WTO rules, health and safety bans such as these must be supported by scientific evidence.
The US Trade Representative’s office was quick to point out that the current bans have not met these requirements.
”Restrictions on US pork or pork products or any meat products from the United States resulting from the recent outbreak do not appear to be based on scientific evidence and may result in serious trade disruptions without cause,” the office of the USTR said in a statement.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and other bodies have confirmed that the virus is not transmitted through consumption of infected meat.
The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), a Paris-based intergovernmental organisation, released a statement saying that human cases of the flu do not justify import bans on pigs.
”There is no evidence that this virus is transmitted by food,” the OIE statement said. “Currently, only findings related to the circulation of this virus in pigs in zones of countries having human cases would justify trade measures on the importation of pigs from these countries.”
Industry pushing for renaming of flu
Analysts are predicting a global drop in demand for pork products as consumers shy away from products that could be connected to the illness. In an effort to assuage fears over eating pork, a US farm group has mounted a campaign to rename the virus ‘North American influenza’.
The renaming initiative has been supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), which announced on 30 April that it would henceforth refer to the illness by its scientific name (H1N1 influenza A). The move came as an effort to avoid confusion after Egypt began culling thousands of pigs in a misguided effort to prevent the swine flu from spreading.
”Meat export bans could seriously hurt trade-USTR,” REUTERS, 27 April 2009; “Pork Industry Fights Concerns Over Swine Flu,” NEW YORK TIMES, 28 April 2009; “China bans pork imports from Mexico, parts of US, AFP,” 27 April 2009; “US slams Russian moves to block meat imports,” Associated Press, 29 April 2009; “1st swine flu death reported in U.S. as worldwide numbers rise,” CBC NEWS, 29 April 2009.
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