China rejects more than 120,000 tonnes of corn imports from US because they contain unapproved transgenic content

Nevin Barich

BEIJING , December 4, 2013 (Xinhua News Agency) – China's quality watchdog announced on Wednesday that China has recently rejected 120,643 tonnes of corn imports from the United States which contain unapproved transgenic content.

Local entry-exit inspection and quarantine bureaus in the southern port city of Shenzhen, Fujian and Shandong Provinces found MIR162, a type of insect-resistant transgenic corn, among five batches of over 120,643 tonnes of corn imported from the United States, according to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ).

MIR162 is not authorized by China's agricultural department, and the three bureaus returned the batches of imports according to China's regulations for genetically modified agricultural products, said the AQSIQ.

The AQSIQ has notified U.S. authorities of the event, hoping they will order the corn exporters concerned to strengthen inspection and quarantine of exports to China in conformity with Chinese law and regulations.

In November this year, local authorities in Shenzhen rejected U.S. corn imports containing MIR162.

(c) 2013 Xinhua News Agency

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