As part of the ongoing effort by the American Soybean Association (ASA) and the U.S. Biotech Crops Alliance (USBCA) to elevate the importance of market access in China, this week the groups urged reducing trade barriers for crops produced with safe crop biotechnology must be a priority in upcoming meetings with China.

In a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew; U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack; U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and U.S. Trade Ambassador Michael Froman, the groups commended the Administration for its progress with China on agricultural innovation and trade, but stressed the need for action soon.

“High-level engagement to improve crop biotechnology regulatory coherence is needed and should be placed as a high priority for the upcoming Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) meeting in June, and the G-20 Leaders’ meeting in the fall,” the letter states. “We believe Cabinet-level participation at the S&ED is critical to reduce trade barriers for crops produced with safe crop biotechnology.”

China is a key export market for U.S. soybeans, but the trade is at risk due to China’s restrictive regulatory approval procedures for biotech products.

China President Xi Jinping visited the U.S. last fall, yielding positive commitments to form the basis for improving relations, but with no tangible outcomes yet.

Click here to read the letter.