China Halts Imports of U.S. Poultry Meat and Sorghum

In a development that may further strain U.S.-China agricultural trade relations, China’s General Administration of Customs (GAC) has announced the suspension of poultry meat and sorghum imports from several American companies, citing serious food safety concerns.

Effective April 4, the GAC has revoked the export qualifications of C&D (USA) Inc. for sorghum, while also barring American Proteins, Inc., Mountaire Farms of Delaware, Inc., and Darling Ingredients Inc. from shipping poultry meat and bone meal to China.

According to the agency, inspections revealed excessive levels of zearalenone and mold in U.S. sorghum, and salmonella contamination in poultry-related products. The GAC emphasized that these actions are necessary to safeguard consumer health and protect China’s livestock sector.

In a separate notice, the GAC announced the immediate suspension of poultry meat imports from Mountaire Farms of Delaware, Inc. and Coastal Processing, LLC, after repeated detections of the prohibited veterinary drug furacillin in chicken products.