Feb 25, 2020

Progress being made on US-China Phase One agreement, agencies say

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and United States Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said Feb. 25 that China has taken numerous actions to begin implementing its agriculture-related commitments under the landmark U.S.-China Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement on schedule. The agreement entered into force on Feb. 14, 2020.

These actions include: 

• Signing a protocol that allows the importation of U.S. fresh chipping potatoes (U.S. Chipping Potatoes Protocol Announcement);
• Lifting the ban on imports of U.S. poultry and poultry products, including pet food containing poultry products (Poultry and Poultry Products Announcement);
• Lifting restrictions on imports of U.S. pet food containing ruminant material (Pet Food with Ruminant Ingredients Announcement);
• Updating lists of facilities approved for exporting animal protein, pet food, dairy, infant formula, and tallow for industry use to China;
• Updating the lists of products that can be exported to China as feed additives; and
• Updating an approved list of U.S. seafood species  that can be exported to China.

In addition, China has begun announcing tariff exclusions for imports of U.S. agricultural products subject to its retaliatory tariffs (Tariff Exclusion Process Announcement), and it announced a reduction in retaliatory tariff rates on certain U.S. agricultural goods (Tariff Rate Adjustment Announcement). These types of actions will facilitate China’s progress toward meeting its Phase One purchase commitments. 

“President Trump and this administration negotiated a strong trade agreement with China that promises significant benefits for American agriculture,” Perdue said. “We look forward to realizing these benefits this year and are encouraged by progress made last week. We fully expect compliance with all elements of the deal.”

“President Trump signed the Phase One agreement a little more than a month ago and we are already seeing positive results,” Lighthizer said. “Under the president’s leadership, we will ensure the agreement is strictly enforced for the benefit of our workers, farmers, ranchers and businesses.”