G/SPS/GEN/1943  
 
21 July 2021 
(21-5738) Page: 1/1 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
 
CHINA'S  COVID -19 RELATED TRADE ACTIONS AGAINST FOOD  
AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS – SPECIFIC TRADE CONCERN 487  
SUBMISSION BY THE UNITED STATES  OF AMERICA  
The following submission, received on 20 July 2021, is the statement made by the United States of 
America at the 14 -16 July 2021 WTO SPS Committee, and is being  circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the United States  of America . 
 
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1.  The United States would like to reiterate the concerns we have shared during the last two 
SPS Committee meetings regarding several measures China continues to implement, including 
testing requirements for imported foods and port -of-entry rejections of imp orted products when 
positive nucleic acid test results are reported, and suspension of imports from specific facilities.  
2.  The United States and several other Members of this Committee have repeatedly requested China 
to withdraw these trade -disruptive and no n-science based restrictions. Through notification 
G/SPS/N/CHN/1173 , China indicated that it is implementing these measures on an emergency basis. 
To maintain these provisional measures, China must seek to obtain enough evidence to justify them.  
3.  China has not provided any science -based justification or testing results to support the need for, 
or efficacy of, these measures. After more than a year since the COVID -19 outbreak was declared a 
Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the D irector -General  of the WHO, the 
US Department of Agriculture, the US Department of Health and Human Services, the US Food and 
Drug Administration and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasize that there is 
no credible evidence of food or food packaging associated with, or a s a source of, viral transmission 
of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS -CoV-2), the virus causing COVID -19. 
4.  It is particularly important to note that COVID -19 is a respiratory illness that is spread from 
person to person, unlike foodborn e or gastrointestinal viruses that often make people ill through 
contaminated food. While there are relatively few reports of the virus being detected on food and 
packaging, most studies focus primarily on the detection of the virus ' genetic fingerprint ra ther than 
evidence of transmission of virus resulting in human infection.  
5.  Our understanding, that the risk is exceedingly low for transmission of SARS -CoV-2 to humans 
via food and food packaging, is based upon the best available information from scientific  bodies 
across the globe, including a continued international consensus.  
6.  As the world slowly begins the process of building back better, the unjustified trade restrictions 
adopted by China during the COVID -19 pandemic threaten global food supply chains, slow global 
recovery efforts, and further challenge global food security.  
7.  As Members of the WTO, we encourage China to withdraw these measures and work with its 
global partners to support the guidance of international organizations by building the body of 
scientific evidence on COVID -19. Collaborative engagement is essential as w e collectively seek to 
combat the pandemic, avoid unnecessary barriers to trade on food and agricultural products, and 
maintain food security for all.  
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