22.09.2011

The U.S. filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization over what it called unfair trade practices by China that have slashed U.S. poultry exports.
The Chinese duties range from about 54 to 65 per cent on US exporters Pilgrim's Pride, Tyson Foods, Keystone Foods and about 32 other producers.
Another group of companies that did not co-operate in China's probe face duties of more than 135 per cent. They have not been major suppliers to China though. US producers sold roughly $650 million of poultry to China in both 2008 and 2009, but shipments fell to about $136 million in 2010 and totaled only $37 million in the first half of this year.
China was the US poultry industry's second largest customer in 2009, accounting for 11 per cent of exports. But currently it accounts for only about 2 per cent of US chicken exports.
China defended today its anti-dumping and countervailing measures on imports of US poultry products, saying the policies are legal and in line with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.