Smithfield to Restart Pork Shipments to China

MarketWatch reports that Smithfield Foods, the largest U.S. hog producer and a major pork exporter, is preparing to restart shipments to China following a nearly year-long closure of the market to U.S. producers amid concerns over the H1N1 influenza virus. Smithfield officials told reporters that shipments are being prepared this week, with packing crates being loaded onto containers as of Wednesday. China agreed in March to resume imports of U.S. pork; however, complications resulted in delays, with the ban formally being lifted from May 1, reports said.