U.S. Relations With the People's Republic of China (2007)

U.S. Department of Health & Human Service

Statement by
Michael O. Leavitt, Secretary
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

on

Developing a Comprehensive Response for Food Safety

before
Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
United States Senate

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

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Imported products are generally safe in the U.S. and Americans enjoy one of the safest food supplies in the world. Yet, we are all aware of recent incidents with unsafe toys and tainted pet foods from China. In addition, there have been concerns about the safety of imported drugs. These incidents of unsafe imports raise legitimate concerns. However, we should not conclude that imports are unsafe or that all products from China or other countries are to be avoided. Instead, these incidents point to the need to revamp the way we deal with import product safety. To put it another way, imports are safe today but, due to the high volume of trade, we need to transform the import system and change the way we verify product safety to meet the challenges of a global economy.

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U.S - CHINA CHALLENGES

Now I want to turn to the issue of imported products from China. As I have mentioned, although there have been some recent problems with Chinese imports, we must not conclude that all products made in China are dangerous. However, as noted below, we are currently taking a number of steps to improve the flow of information on the risks of imports from China and efforts will be made to increase the safety of Chinese imports through certification of quality controls in goods produced in China for export.

Let me provide some context for the discussion. China has a complex product safety regulatory system that consists of the Ministry of Agriculture which monitors food production and regulates farm inputs; the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine [AQSIQ] which monitors processing and trade, the Certification and Accreditation Administration, which regulates the production certification, and the State Food and Drug Administration [SFDA] which coordinates food and drug policies and investigates safety mishaps. The Chinese system is challenged by rapid growth and decentralization of power which has resulted in overlapping authorities in some areas and gaps in regulatory control.

I have met with Chinese officials on several occasions to discuss import regulatory issues and we are in the process of finalizing negotiations on two binding Agreements that we expect to sign soon. One will cover the safety of food and feed, and the second will cover the safety of drugs and medical devices. These agreements outline the processes and points of contact for both countries to follow when the importing country rejects a shipment.

We expect that the provisions of the Action Plan will be instrumental to improving the safety and bolstering consumer confidence in Chinese imports

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