CALGARY—The Alberta government says it’s fighting hard to find a resolution to China’s sudden suspension of all meat imports from Canada on Tuesday. The Chinese embassy told The Canadian Press it ordered the suspension after it found traces of the restricted food additive ractopamine in some Canadian pork imports. Ractopamine is permitted in Canada, but not in China. The statement from the embassy alleged that those imports were accompanied by counterfeit veterinary health certificates, something it calls a criminal offence.In a statement Tuesday evening, Alberta’s Agriculture and Forestry Minister Devin Dreeshen said he has already spoken with his federal counterpart, Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, as well as industry members and “reinforced that the Alberta government’s priority will be to protect our farmers during this difficult time.” Bibeau said in a statement that the Canadian Food and Inspection Agency “identified an issue involving inauthentic export certificates” and “has informed appropriate law enforcement agencies.” She said the agency was investigating a “technical issue” and was working with industry partners and Chinese officials.Premier Jason Kenney has also been in touch with federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau, according to Dreeshen’s statement, to share “our disappointment with this action and the impact it will have on farmers.”Read more:China bans all Canadian meat before G20 as diplomatic dispute escalatesLawyers urge Canada to stop Huawei exec’s extradition to U.S. on fraud chargesCanadian and Chinese officials hold talks about canola as China targets porkThe newspaper Le Journal de Québec, which first reported the ban, quotes a Montreal-based diplomat with the Chinese consulate-general as saying the ban is temporary.The move comes as China deals with a massive outbreak of African swine flu, a disease harmless to humans, ...
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