WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger—a Member of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee—today released the following statement after the U.S. Trade Representative and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that China will lift its ban on the import of U.S. poultry products.

“Each year, Central Virginia’s poultry producers send millions of dollars-worth of poultry products to U.S. consumers and markets around the world. Poultry is our district’s largest livestock product, and it’s a key economic driver in our rural counties. But for too long, access to the Chinese poultry market has been stifled for Central Virginia farmers,” said Spanberger. “Today’s announcement is welcome news for our district’s farms and rural communities. Our district is home to the second-highest production of poultry in the Commonwealth, and this news bodes well for the long-term financial security of Central Virginia poultry farmers. As talks between the United States and China continue, I also hope the administration can work to expand additional markets, push forward on strengthened trade agreements, and end reckless tariffs that have created tremendous instability within the farm economy.”

According to the USDA’s 2017 Census of Agriculture, Virginia’s Seventh District sold more than $124,000,000 of poultry products in 2017.

###