China is likely to lift the ban on the American bird as part of a trade deal and may buy more pork to meet the growing supply shortage, but it does not want to allow the banned preparation of ractopamine, used by about half of US pork producers.
Washington insists on expanding access to agricultural markets in an effort to lower tariffs, lift bans and revise regulatory processes. The United States has asked Beijing to lift the ban on the use of ractopamine, which some US pork producers use to stimulate the growth of pigs and poultry in the United States.
China resists lifting restrictions on the use of ractopamine, although Beijing may increase imports of American pork because its own herd of pigs is devastated by diseases, independent sources said.
See also:Huge losses in the Chinese herd of pigs due to African swine fever led to the fact that the world's largest pork market faced a protein deficit, which gives hope to American producers of pork and poultry.
"I think that China will do everything possible to make it easier for them to import protein," said Bob Brown, an independent analyst of the US livestock market. “This is such a gigantic thing,” he said of African swine fever. 
According to Rabobank, up to 200 million pigs in China can be utilized or die from infections, as this disease spreads throughout the country, which reduces pork production by 30% from 2019.
Agriculture economist from the University of Iowa, Dermot Heys, said he expects China to import 4 million to 6 million tons of pork in 2020 after losses in Chinese herds. According to him, the volume of imports from the United States will depend on a trade deal, since Beijing supports tariffs on supplies of American pork and has alternative suppliers. The US meat exporter stated that USTR officials indicated that China would not lift the ban on ractopamine, although trade negotiations are still ongoing.
We recommend to read:Chinese authorities blocked the use of ractopamine in livestock production in 2002. They argue that it can cause health problems in people and is too similar to clenbuterol, an illegal pig feed supplement used to preserve meat. The European Union also bans ractopamine, although the US and other countries say it is safe. Many US pork producers that use this product could benefit if China lifted its ban.
