We are seeking substantial improvements in market access as part of the WTO accession negotiations. While the EU market is more mature and developed than China's, market access remains an important concern. China is an integral part of the President's vision, a vision that greatly benefits U.S. agriculture. A China that is a full, commercial member of the international trading community means a market of greater opportunity for U.S. agriculture. China is already the world's largest importer of soybean meal and soybean oil, and the U.S. had record or near-record sales of both commodities to China last year.
China is also the world's largest producer and consumer of most meat products.
But trade accounts for a very small share of the livestock economy. Government policies have severely limited the exposure to world markets. Clearly, U.S. agriculture can benefit from more open grain and livestock markets in China. Just as the Pacific community cannot prosper without a growing, deregulated Japan, neither can it reach its full potential without an open and integrated China. Consider how damaging was China's economic isolation in the 1950's and 1960's.