*

China allowed export registrations for US meat plants to

lapse

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China renews registrations for pork, poultry plants,

groups say

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Exporters hope Beijing renews US beef plants soon

(New throughout, adds China renewing US pork and poultry

facilities and comments from US industry groups)

By Mei Mei Chu and Tom Polansek

BEIJING/CHICAGO, March 17 (Reuters) -

Beijing has renewed registrations that allow hundreds of

U.S. pork and poultry facilities to export to China, industry

groups said on Monday, after lapses threatened shipments to the

world's largest meat importer.

The renewals are a relief to U.S. farmers and meat

companies as they navigate trade disputes with major

agricultural importers, including China and Canada, under

President Donald Trump.

China is understood to have renewed for five years

registrations for U.S. pork and poultry facilities that expired

in February and over the weekend, according to the U.S. Meat

Export Federation and the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council.

Both groups said that U.S. beef facilities had not yet been

renewed.

Shipments continued to clear customs from facilities

with lapsed registrations, but U.S. exporters were unsure how

long that would last.

"We were on pins and needles for a while," said Greg

Tyler, CEO of the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council.

Beijing requires food exporters to register with customs to

sell products in China.

China's customs website showed registrations for more than

1,000 U.S. meat plants granted by China under the 2020 "Phase 1"

trade deal lapsed on Sunday. That was roughly two-thirds of all

those registered.

The trade deal ended the previous U.S.-China trade war with

a pledge from Beijing to boost its purchases of U.S. goods and

services, including meat, by $200 billion over two years. China

did not reach the target, which was agreed shortly before the

COVID-19 pandemic hit.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture did not immediately

respond to a request for comment. The agency previously said

China did not respond to repeated requests to renew plant

registrations, potentially violating the Phase 1 agreement.

"We're pleased to see progress on the pork facilities and

hoping for similar news on beef as soon as possible," said Joe

Schuele, spokesman for the U.S. Meat Export Federation.

Beijing imposed retaliatory tariffs on some $21 billion

worth of American farm goods this month, including 10% duties on

U.S. pork, beef and dairy.

In 2024, the U.S. was China's third-largest meat supplier by

volume, trailing Brazil and Argentina and accounting for 9% of

China's total meat imports. U.S. meat shipments to China reached

$2.5 billion last year, making it the second largest exporter by

value.

Exports of U.S. poultry products have suffered due to

outbreaks of bird flu, but China remains an important market,

Tyler said.

"We needed that market to stay open and these renewals

were very important to that," he said.