China tells Canada to Stop Meat Shipments Over Bogus Documents

China said on Tuesday it wants the Canadian government to stop allowing meat shipments to China after bogus export certificates were discovered

by Kelsey Johnson, Rod Nickel – Reuters

The announcement comes just four days before China and the United States are due to sit down to work on settling a trade dispute that has caught Canada in the crossfire.

An investigation into Canada’s export certificates has revealed as many as 188 “counterfeit” veterinary health documents and the existence of “obvious safety loopholes,” the Chinese Embassy in Canada said in a statement on its website.

Canadian Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau said in a statement that the Canadian Food and Inspection Agency (CFIA) confirmed it had found “inauthentic export certificates.”

“CFIA is investigating this technical issue and has informed appropriate law enforcement agencies”

 

The Chinese Embassy, in its statement, said, “… China has taken urgent preventive measures and requested the Canadian government to suspend the issuance of certificates for meat exported to China.

“We hope the Canadian side would attach great importance to this incident, complete the investigation as soon as possible and take effective measures to ensure the safety of food exported to China in a more responsible manner,” it added.

Bibeau said in her statement that the CFIA had been working closely with industry and Chinese officials on the matter.

“CFIA is investigating this technical issue and has informed appropriate law enforcement agencies. This incident is specific to export certificates to China. Export certificates to other countries are not affected,” Bibeau said.

Bibeau did not say whether the CFIA would suspend the certificates, but a Canadian government source said the issue was a “technical” and not a political one, and that a “temporary suspension” may be announced.

Reuters