BEIJING, March 17 (Reuters) - Export registrations for

more than 1,000 U.S. meat plants granted by China under the 2020

"Phase 1" trade deal lapsed on Sunday, China's customs website

showed, threatening U.S. exports to the world's largest buyer

amid an ongoing tariff standoff.

The registration status for pork, beef and poultry plants

across the U.S., including major producers Tyson Foods ( TSN ),

Smithfield Packaged Meats and Cargill Meat Solutions was changed

from "effective" to "expired", according to the website of

China's General Administration of Customs.

The expiration of roughly two-thirds of the total registered

facilities could restrict U.S. market access and incur

significant losses to a roughly $5 billion trade, a fresh

affront to American farmers after Beijing earlier this month

imposed retaliatory tariffs on some $21 billion worth of

American farm goods.

Beijing requires food exporters to register with customs to

sell in China.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said China did not

respond to repeated requests to renew plant registrations,

potentially violating the Phase 1 trade agreement.

Under the Phase 1 trade deal, China is obligated to update

its approved plant list within 20 days of receiving updates from

the USDA.

Registrations for some 84 U.S. plants lapsed in February

and while shipments from these affected plants continue to clear

customs, the industry doesn't know for how long China will allow

imports.

China's customs department did not immediately respond to

faxed questions.

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

volume, trailing Brazil and Argentina, accounting for 590,000

tons or 9% of China's total meat imports.