US Suspends French Meat Imports - US - A transatlantic trade war could be on the cards after it emerged that the US has suspended meat imports from France.

The Americans based their action on a US inspection of French meat-processing plants which ended earlier this month, says The Independent.

French officials told the paper that US inspectors decided 11 French plants, previously licensed to sell meat in the US, were no longer observing American safety regulations.

The French agriculture ministry had dismissed the American concerns but sent a high-level team to Washington to discuss the measures needed to come in line with US food safety legislation.

The paper says the meat ban appears to be unconnected to a European Union decision to ban imports of American eggs and poultry after bird flu spread to Texas.

The European Commission banned US eggs and poultry on public health grounds after a highly infectious form of the bird flu virus was detected.

At least 22 people have been killed by the virus, which has prompted the slaughter of tens of millions of fowl in Asia.

Source: eFeedLink - 6th January 2005