This has been a problem for years. I have cut and pasted what the official language says about this practice (see below) of sending meats to China for processing. The truth of the matter is that both the USA and Canada can label their meat "American or Canadian" even though it has gone back and forth across the Pacific. The dirty little secret is that not only are these countries benefiting from the ridiculously low labour wages but the main reason for this practice is that they are avoiding all the regulations that American and Canadian slaughterhouses are forced to abide by.Posted by Bassplayer1 (here)
How are Avalonians living in Canada feeling about the impending tariffs? I was wondering how much they may/or not impact the cost of food prices - especially as we rely on the U.S and Mexico.
A friend's husband used to work in the office at Maple Leaf Foods here in Ontario. (If you haven't heard of them, they process and package sliced deli meats etc). Anyway, he was telling me that despite the meat coming from Ontario pigs etc, Canada prepares the meat in sections for it then to be sent out and 'rendered' in China and then sent back to Canada to be prepared and packaged!!! This is insane just trying to get my head around the logistics of all this, and has got me thinking about how much back-and-forth between Canada and the U.S (and other countries) takes place during the process of manufacturing food. This must make tariffs really complicated. I don't buy packed deli meats, but I'm sure the packaging will say 'made in Canada' and technically it is up to a point with services from other countries.
So there's extra attention needed when reading between the lines on labels if trying to buy Canadian at this time.
Trump is very much aware of this behavior. He discussed this at length during his first term and even put tariffs on Chinese products in place with this practice in mind.
American companies send chickens and meats to China for slaughter and then send it back to the USA primarily due to economic factors. The labour costs in China are significantly lower compared to the United States. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, American poultry processors are typically paid around $11 per hour on average, whereas reports indicate that Chinese poultry workers earn between $1 to $2 per hour. This substantial difference in labour costs makes the processing of meat in China economically attractive for U.S. companies.
Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved the shipment of slaughtered chicken to China and back, allowing these products to be consumed in the U.S. This approval was granted after the USDA determined that China's poultry slaughter inspection system is equivalent to that of the United States, providing a similar level of food safety.
However, concerns about food safety remain, given China's history of food safety scandals. Despite these concerns, the economic benefits often outweigh the risks for some companies.




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