Reports of China Ban have Georgia Poultry Farmers Worried ATLANTA, GA (WABE) - Rumors of a Chinese ban on poultry imports from the U.S. have industry heads in Georgia worried. Georgia is the capital of the poultry industry in the U.S., and losing its biggest export market could cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

WABE's Odette Yousef reports.

On Thursday, Chinese officials denied any ban, but Toby Moore of the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council, based in Georgia, says their offices in China have spoken with importers there. They report that the Chinese Ministry of Commerce told importers to reduce the number of import permits they issue by 70%.

Toby Moore:

MOORE: We don't know to what extent, we don't know if it's something that's going to last a while, we don't know if it applies to all of China - all Chinese ports or just a few or just one, we just don't know

Mike Giles of the Georgia Poultry Industry hopes the rumors aren't true. He says last year was tough enough:

GILES: Companies have lost a lot of money. Our inputs last year, especially in feed grain prices, went up dramatically. And coupled with some softening of demand domestically and internationally, was a formula for one of the most difficult times in poultry industry, and really in modern history.

China accounts for 20% of the US Poultry industry's exports. Last year, it came to $722 million.

Odette Yousef, WABE News.
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