Shipments of U.S. chicken are now being diverted to South Korea and Hong Kong as China works to contain an outbreak of the Coronavirus, now known as covid-19.
Peter Friedman with the Agriculture Transportation Coalition says China-bound shipments may eventually be halted in the U.S. due to a shortage of containers.
Late last year, the USA Poultry and Ag Export Council applauded the country’s decision to lift a ban on U.S. poultry.
In December, China received its first shipments in five years.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue touched on the delays during the Rural Town Hall on Thursday night.
“It is a serious issue, it will affect trade for awhile and we’ll be mindful of that but USDA is also directing and creating a matrix to be able to track these exports and shipping so we can hold China accountable,” he said.