USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is working with Chinese officials to try and get them to lift a new requirement for testing on live U.S. hogs that they import. Chinese officials have said they have concerns over PED virus. National Pork Producer Council President Dr. Howard Hill, an Iowa Veterinarian says the disease is likely already in China so the testing requirement appears to be a trade barrier.

Hill says it’s positive that APHIS officials are working with the Chinese on the problem. He says American scientists are also working diligently to try and find a vaccine for PED virus. He says because it’s a corona virus, it’s difficult to find a vaccine to battle it.

China has directed USDA to conduct testing and provide certification that live hogs come from herds that are free of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus.