China suspends some Canadian pork imports

By Jonathan Martin

China is blocking pork imports from two Canadian companies.

Olymel LP and Drummond Export, two Québec-based companies, have had all China-bound pork exports suspended, Reuters reports.

The story broke hours after the federal government announced it is expanding Canada’s trade deals with the United States, Europe, Mexico and Asia-Pacific nations by making “unprecedented” investments in trade promotion.

Jean Larose, general manager of Les Éleveurs de porcs du Québec, said the two affected companies make up only a fraction of Québec’s pork industry, so he feels that a panic is premature.

“We have to wait and see what the issue is,” he said to Farms.com. The suspensions “have no great impact on the other 20 to 25 exporters in Québec. We know the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is in discussions with China, so we have to wait and see what happens with these two companies.”

Richard Vigneault, head of corporate communications for Olymel LP, told Farms.com that his company’s Red Deer plant is dealing with a “temporary suspension” of pork products heading to China. He and “the authorities” are “assessing the situation,” he said, but he would offer no further comment.

Olymel’s suspensions are related to incorrect labeling, CBC reports.