China has lifted a two-year ban on poultry imports from Argentina, reopening a key supply channel amid a trade conflict with the United States that has resulted in significant tariffs on U.S. poultry.

Argentina halted poultry exports in February 2023 after the detection of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in commercial poultry, leading China to impose a ban the following month. 

Imports of poultry and related products from Argentina resumed on March 17 following a risk analysis conducted by the General Administration of Customs. The agency did not provide details on the findings of the analysis.

Before the ban, Argentina was China's third-largest supplier of chicken products, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

The lifting of the ban occurs amid ongoing trade tensions between Beijing and Washington. China has implemented a 15% import duty on U.S. chicken as part of tariffs on $21 billion worth of American agricultural and food products.

Last year, the U.S. ranked as China’s third-largest meat supplier, following Brazil and Argentina, providing 590,000 tons or 9% of total imports.