Why is chicken causing a furor between the US and China? It seems that there is a long standing feud over chicken imports to the US. According to Etter and Power, in 2006 the USDA issued a rule that permitted China to export cooked poultry products to the US as long as the raw poultry meat originated in the US. A bruhaha erupted, and lawmakers inserted a provision in the fiscal 2008 spending bill that prohibited processed chicken from being imported into the US.
Now, in retaliation, China is expected to ban imports of US chicken, a move that would cost US chicken exporters $370 million dollars over the next six months.
China has been crying "protectionism" for some time. Earlier this week the US International Trade Commission recommended imposing punitive duties upwards of 55% on low cost tire imports because they were disrupting the US tire market.
Finally, last week the House approved legislation to curb greenhouse gas emissions with a provision that would impose tariffs on goods from countries that do not match US standards. This move is being interpreted as directed mainly at China which does not follow our standards.
China is in such an uproar that President Obama expressed concern that such a provision would send "protectionist signals."
So the saga of the chicken wars continues. Who gets the chicken is up for debate.
Should the US import processed chicken from China?



Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-01-2009 @ 11:27PM
thedude said...
The US should be importing NO food products from China. PERIOD End of discussion
How screwed up is this country where it is more cost effective to ship chicken 4,000 miles have them processed into prepackaged meals and then shipped back another 4000 miles. That is some seriously well travelled chicken and they didn't even get me a lousy T-Shirt, no postcard NUTHIN'
Here's a thought process and package the food in this country - maybe even manage to give a few residents jobs. Whether they are illigal aliens or not. Any jobs are better than the massive unemployment numbers Obama appears to be intentionally trying to achieve.
Here's a better thought - BOYCOTT CHINA permanantly! Cease all trade with them and deport every Chinese national in the country. Then do the same with any other country that maintains an unfair trade balance.
7-02-2009 @ 2:30AM
ALL ABOARD!!!!!! said...
There is very little safety and cleanliness of Communist China food products. They for the most part have no regards of other people's health and well being. It's all about getting more money to help supply their vast military machine. Keep food production in this country to keep our jobs for our citizens. Boycott the Commies Chinese and depot only the pro Communist Chinese and not the anti Commie Chinese. Don't shop Walmart, the number one commie products retailer in this country.
7-05-2009 @ 5:18PM
LARRY said...
THE ONLY CHICKEN IN THE WAR IS OBAMA THE PSYCHOPATH---HE AND HIS GANG OF THIEVES ARE DESTROYING THE COUNTRY====================
7-02-2009 @ 7:53PM
al coholic said...
Who in their right mind would feed their children food processed in china? It is a land of filth, pollution, and garbage. Don't let those pictures of Hong Kong and Singapore fool you. Most of the populace still live in the stone age.
7-03-2009 @ 8:29AM
Jerry said...
So Obama is afraid of protectionism and will probably ease restrictions on chicken imports into the US. Does this dumbo not remember the baby formula crisis due to exceesive Gluten. Does he not remember the auto tire industry almost failing over the past few years ( he we a Senator when it happened). This guy is not protecting anything in this country. Maybe China is buying him too. Seems like other countries have and the large corporations definitely have. Rather than our president, he is just a man who travels, lets Pelosi and Reed run the freaking country and has ACORN running his life. What a sad time for America.
7-05-2009 @ 8:19AM
Foosie said...
Oops...forgot to remember that China is our nation's bank, i.e. it is the largest buyer of U.S. Treasury bills (our $16 plus trillion of debt). So, China has the power to tell the U.S. what to do.
7-05-2009 @ 5:04PM
Grinch said...
I have a great idea! How about, Americans dont buy food from China. Now, wasnt that easy?
I was in Krogers yesterday, they had on sale."Great American Seafood" It was salmon, cod and catfish. It was imported from China. It will rot in the store before I buy it.
9-23-2009 @ 5:57PM
Bud said...
that would be a good thing for American sonsumers.See the lies are that exporting is good,it is for the one exporting and selling it.But that also picks up supply and demand and brings our cost up as you all have seen what a bucket of kfc cost now days.If they can't export the chicken then we will have abundance here and the prices will drop to insure more sells.Same goes with our cars and everything else.This is why we were sucker punched with nafta thinking it was good for America when in fact all we seen were major inflation.Our wages stayed the same but the prices kept rising.I find it sad that people that are making in a State like Az and wages for most are still between 10 and 17 an hour.Some think that is great and are happy.I made 17 an hour when i was 18 in the 80's and inflation was 5 times cheaper than today.I could rent a nice house for 300 to 400 a month..now you can't even get an apartment for under 600 a month and thats in the ghetto areras.People need to realize that importing has killed Americans living better.So never fear when other Countries want to stop it,we will come out on top.
9-23-2009 @ 5:01PM
Bud said...
why are we even dealing with Comunist china who are a major human right violations.I did not watch the Olympics for that reason and why we give china a pass on this just goes to show.Our Government will sell us out for a chicken if it came down to it.By the way exporting and nafta is the reason are inflation has gone sky rocket and our wages sinking.Supply and demand profits the corporations not the people.