G/SPS/GEN/1900  
 
1 April  2021 
(21-2750) Page: 1/2 
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  
The following submission , received on 30 March 2021, is being circulated at the request of the 
Delegation of the United States . 
 
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1.1.  The United States understands the concerns of consumers around the world who want food 
producers, processors,  and regulators to act to reduce the spread of COVID -19. We all must work 
together to clearly and effectively communicate to consumers the risk of COVID -19 transmission 
associated with food and agricultural products.   
1.2.  We are concerned by several measures China continues to implement, including requirements 
for exporter statements, suspension of imports from facilities where local media report worker cases 
of COVID -19, testing requirements for imported foods, and port -of-entry rejections of imported 
product s when positive nucleic acid test results are reported.    
1.3.  The United States and several other Members shared their concerns about the China's 
measures during the November 2020 SPS Committee meeting and requested China to withdraw 
these trade disruptive an d non -science based restrictions. Through notification G/SPS/N/CHN/1173 , 
China indicated that it is implementing its measures on an emergency basis . To maintain this 
measure, China must seek to obtain enough evidence to do so.   
1.4.  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 an international public health emergency, the US Department of Agriculture, the US Food 
and Drug Administration and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to 
underscore tha t there is no credible evidence of food or food packaging associated with, or as a 
source of, viral transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS -CoV-2), the 
virus causing COVID -19. 
1.5.  It is particularly important to note that COVID -19 is a respiratory illness that is spread from 
person to person, unlike foodborne 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, mos t studies focus primarily on the detection of the virus' genetic fingerprint rather than 
evidence of transmission of virus resulting in human infection.  
1.6.  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.  
1.7.  For example, a recent opinion from the International Commission on Microbiological 
Specifications for Foods (ICMSF), stated: "Despite the billions of meals and food packages handled 
since the beginning of the COVID -19 pandemic, to date there has not been any evidence that food, 
food packaging or food handling is a source or important transmission route for  SARS -CoV-2 
resulting in COVID -19". G/SPS/GEN/1900  
 
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  1.8.  Members are confronted by an increasing number of COVID -19-related import restrictions 
imposed by China on a variety of food and agricultural commodities. Unjustified trade restrictions 
adopted during the COVID -19 pandemic threaten the integrity of global food supply chains at a time 
when many WTO Members are already struggling to maintain food security.  
1.9.  As Members of the WTO, we encourage China to withdraw these measures and work with its 
global partners to support the guidance of international organizatio ns by building the body of 
scientific evidence on COVID -19. Collaborative engagement is essential as we collectively combat 
the pandemic, avoid unnecessary barriers to trade on food and agricultural products, and maintain 
food security for all.   
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