China Issues New Rules on US DDG Imports

China's Import Inspection Authority, AQSIQ, is now requiring U.S. distiller's dried grains imports to be officially certified free of the MIR 162 GMO trait, the U.S. Grains Council, an export trade group, said in a letter emailed to Reuters by a trade source.

The new requirement is effective immediately, the letter said. All DDGs shipments departing from July 24 that do not meet the certification requirement will be rejected, the North American Export Grain Association (NAEGA) said in a note to members, emailed to Reuters by another trade source.

The U.S. Grains Council (USGC) added it would have to "discontinue its role as the agent for U.S. ethanol companies in submitting registration dossiers" to China's Ministry of Agriculture as a result of the new requirement and China's new regulations on registering U.S. ethanol plants that intend exporting DDGs, according to the USGC's letter.

Neither the U.S. Grains Council nor the NAEGA were immediately available for comment.

Distiller's dried grains is a byproduct of corn ethanol refining. China stopped issuing import permits for U.S. DDGs in June on concerns it might contain the unapproved MIR 162 GMO trait. The strain, which was developed by Syngenta AG, has not been approved for import by China's agricultural ministry.

(Reporting by Christine Stebbins and Julie Ingwersen; editing by Matthew Lewis)