According to media reports, the General Administration of Customs (CGAC) of the Peoples Republic of China has banned imports from a BRF S.A. plant in Lucas do Rio Verde located in Mato Grosso State producing chicken.
At this time no formal communication has been issued by the CGAC and there is no explanation or justification for the action. A BRF release indicated that the Company would make use of representatives of Brazil to liaise with authorities in China concerning the ban.
On July 7th Reuters reported that imports to China were suspended from pork plants owned by JBS S.A. and BRF S.A. located respectively in Tres Bassos and Lajeado in the State of Rio Grande do Sul. As with the most recent August ban, no reason was provided although it is presumed to relate to prevailing high incidence rates for COVID in the designated plants and communities.
China is operating under the presumption that COVID may be transmitted through food although scientific opinion discredits this possible route. Currently China is responding vigorously to emerging cases of the Delta variant of COVID that they maintain was introduced into the nation by a traveler from the Russian Federation. Lockdowns have now been implemented in major centers including Beijing and all residents of a number of metropolitan areas including Wuhan are to be tested for SARS-COV-2 virus.