China issued a sudden ban on Canadian beef and pork exports, which will create a huge loss for Canada’s livestock sector.
A livestock industry group says China is one of its top five international markets.
Chris White, president of the Canadian Meat Council, says this decision will affect everyone in the entire Canadian value chain, including the farmers who raise the animals and the packers that process the product, as well as the companies that ship the product overseas.
The Chinese Embassy said Tuesday that it asked Canada to suspend all meat exports after a shipment of pork was found to contain traces of ractopamine.
It’s a feed additive that’s restricted in China. After detecting the residue, China says a further investigation found forged veterinary health certificates attached to that batch of pork.
The CMC says the Canadian government is asking why beef products were also suspended because the failed certificates pertained just to pork.
Canadian exports to China had been experiencing a big jump in 2019 when compared to last year.
With the ban, Canadian companies now have to find other markets to ship their products to.