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MARK E:
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GOVERNMENT
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The
Honorable
MikecJohanns
.
,
.
>-
.,
.
.
;
secret4
Gf
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05-012P
U.S. ~epart~n&t
f
Agri@,We
05-012P-38
200
Cansti
tution
Avenue,
~
Mark
E.
Souder
Washington DC
2021
0
THE
BOATUDI~E
700
PMK
AVENUE,
SLm
D
WINOHA
LA*E,
IN
d4590
(5741
18&9.1910
rml
sa3wi
wwvr.hwra.gwlroudsr
r.
Dear
Secretary
Johanns:
--
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I
am
writing
to
express
my
opposition
to
a
proposed
~ood
afety
and
Inspection
Sewice
nile
(Docket
No.
05-01
2P)
that
wouId
allow
the
People's
Republic
of
China
to
export
processed
poultry
products
to
the
United
States.
This
rule
would
threaten
smaller
U.S.
poultry
industries
and
producers,
as
well
as
undermine
consumer
confidence
in
the safety
of
domestic
poultryproducts
by
weakening the federal
government's
ability
to
protect
from
avian
influenza.
Although
it
is
unlikely
that
this
rule
would
have
a
substantial
effect
on
domestic
poultry
supplies'
and:priws;:it
wuld
very
well
jeopardize
our
country's
smaller
poultnes
industry
such
as
duck;
gobse,
and
squab.
':~s:mle'muld:potentiaIly
xact
sizable harm
on
some
&the
businesses
iri
my
isrtheastmi
Indiana
district-ne
of
the.largestduck-producing
egions
in
the
?untry-
including
Maple Leaf
Farms
in
Milford
and
Culver
Duck,
n
Middlebury.
U
.S.
producers
of
these
poultry
products'could
easily
be
undercut
by
low
grade
Chinese
products
produced
at
a-fraction
of
the
piice'due
to
tower wages'and
benefits;
,
. .
:.
. .
:Iia
.
.
.
.
;
i
I
am'
lso
concerned
that
the
25
Chinese
establishments
that
this rule
.wouldlauthorize
o
expdrt
products
to.
the
U.S.
wouldexport
more
than
the 2,500,000
pounds
U,SDA
estimates.
.
Indeed,
myLundeetanding
of
international
trade
leads
me
to
think
this
likely.
~oncems
ver bird
flu
have
already
resulted
in
a
decline
in
Chinese
domestic poultry
consumption
of
as
much
as
60
percent,
and
Chinese
poultry
producers
will
certainly
be
ooking
to
expand
theikports
to
other
markets:
;Tn.addition,
t
is
easy
to
imagine
the
U.S.
importingmore
than
this
amount
of
processed
poultry
products
should
we
experience
even
a
minor
disease
outbreak,
which
wquld,no
doubt
lead
to
othercountries
banning
our
own
poultry
exportsasthey.have
done.
n
the
pst.
,
-
.
:
'
Further,
USDA's
proposed rule
would
undermine
U.S.
onsumer
confidence
in poultry
products:
The
many
outbreaks
of
avian
flu
in.China;:Yieam;-and
other
Asian
countries
have
received
significantamounts
of
press
cbverage
in
the
u,s.,'
and
although
the
rule.&ntains
safegu'ards
to
'ensure
the
safety
of
my
irnportd:pdultry,
American
consumers
eue
unlikely
.to
be
a
ri~shvorthy.
Such
a
weakening
of-~risurnq.~nfidence~
ould
significantly
dampen
domestic
consumption
and
hium
the
entire
U:S:.'poultry
ndustry.
;
....
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38
05-012P05-012P-38Mark E. Souder
 
Finally,
despite
the
safety
measures
contained in
the
proposed
rule,
I
m
keptical
that
USDA
would realistically be able to
ensure the
safety of Chinese
poultry imports.
Under
the
rule,
the
certified
Chinese
poultry
processors
would
be
required
to
acquire
the
raw
poultry
products
from
other
countries-prohibiting
them
from
using
poultry
raised
in
their
own
country,
However,
there
is
no
doubt
that
Chinese
producers
would
be
tempted by
the
low
prices
and
easy
accessibility
of
domestically produced poultry.
There
are
numerous
reports
of
illegal
smuggling
of
poultry
products
from
areas
affected
by
avian
flu.There
have
also been
rqorts
of
nfected
poultry
products
being
shipped
to
other
countries.
Chinese
producers
would
have
obvious
incentives
to
break
the
rules,
imperiling
the
safety
of
our
own
U.S.
poultry
products
in
the
process.
Again,
I
ask
that
you
withdraw
the
proposed Food
Safety
and
Inspection
Service
rule
that
would
allow China
to
export processed
poultry
products
to
the
United
States.
Thank
you
for
your
attention
to
this
matter.
 
J.S.
YOUSE
OF
REPRESENTATlV€S
.'
WASHINGTON,
DC
2051
5-1403
.!
PUBLIC
DOCUMENT
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OFFICIAL
BUSINESS
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.&
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