Chad Smith, NAFB News Service

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is taking steps to allow poultry imports from China. Farm Progress Dot Com says it’s a sign of ongoing progress in the talks between Washington and Beijing that will hopefully lead to a resolution in their trade dispute. The new regulation covers birds as well as poultry parts and products slaughtered in certified Chinese facilities. A compromise on poultry came out of advanced discussions between the two nations as they gradually work toward a “Phase One” partial trade deal. China said last month that it was prepared to lift a ban on U.S poultry imports that had been in place since 2015. A report last Thursday said that China’s General Administration of Customs and Ministry of Agriculture were looking into the removal of curbs on American supplies. China is currently allowed to send poultry products into the U.S. that are slaughtered in America or certain other countries. However, the new regulation would allow China to send processed poultry products made from birds slaughtered in the Asian country. If Beijing ultimately lifts its ban on U.S. poultry imports, that would be a major win for U.S. producers and processors. China banned U.S. poultry imports in 2015 after an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the U.S.