Chile approves US poultry imports

Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer has announced that Chile's Livestock and Agricultural Service has approved the US inspection, control and certification systems for poultry, allowing these products to enter the Chilean market effective immediately.

"This agreement represents a strong foothold for US poultry exports to South America," said Schafer. "Without the benefit of the US-Chile Free Trade Agreement, the common ground for expanding US poultry exports to Chile would have been weakened. Trade agreements not only increase two-way trade by providing duty-free access and sharing of standards among the United States and our trading partners, these agreements also open new markets for US farmers and ranchers."