China ends two-year ban on Argentina poultry imports

China has lifted a two-year ban on poultry imports from Argentina, reopening a key supply channel amid a tit-for-tat trade war with the United States that has led to steep tariffs on U.S poultry.

Argentina suspended poultry exports in February 2023 after detecting Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in commercial poultry, prompting China to impose a ban in March of that year.

Imports of poultry and related products from the South American producer will be allowed from March 17 following a risk analysis, the General Administration of Customs said in a statement dated March 17.

It did not elaborate on the results of the risk analysis.

Prior to the import ban, Argentina was China's third-largest supplier of chicken products, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.

The lifting comes amid a trade standoff between Beijing and Washington. China has imposed a 15% import duty on U.S chicken as part of tariffs covering $21 billion worth of American agricultural and food products.

The U.S. was China's third largest meat supplier last year after Brazil and Argentina, accounting for 590,000 tons or 9% of total imports.

(Reporting by Ella Cao and Mei Mei Chu; Editing by Jacqueline Wong and Louise Heavens)