China has imposed a temporary beef ban on the products from six Australian processors. A Meating Place Dot Com report says the concern is regarding label non-compliance. Australian government officials have confirmed the ban is in place, vowing to work closely with the country’s beef industry and Chinese officials to get the ban resolved. The dispute doesn’t involve food safety concerns or health issues. It stems from non-compliance issues centered on labeling meat from Australian processors that include two facilities owned by JBS of Brazil. Australia’s trade minister says there are significant amounts of beef products involved in the ban, which even includes shipments already in the water and on the way to China. Officials hope the issue can get resolved before those shipments reach Chinese ports. China is currently the fourth-largest beef market for Australia, whose beef exports were worth over $600 million in 2016.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.