U.S. Ambassador to China Terry Branstad met this week with officials at West Des Moines-based Hy-Line to discuss opening China to poultry imports from the United States. 

China banned poultry imports from the U.S. after a December 2014 outbreak of avian flu. 

Branstad told a summit of China-related businesses at the Des Moines Embassy Club that the early buzz over the re-entry of American beef products has increased talk of large exports of U.S. chickens to China, which has faced a shortage of breeding stock.

Hy-Line is a key player in genetics of layer chickens, which is important to Iowa, the top egg producer in the United States.

“Because of the avian flu epidemic (in past years), we have some issues with chickens,” Branstad said. “Hy-Line has the best chicken embryos in the world, and they have a partner in Hebei (China) and they would like the Chinese market to reopen.”

Branstad is hoping to add to U.S. markets in China, especially in agricultural products.

“We’re especially proud to have U.S. beef now,” Branstad said of the renewal of U.S. beef imports in China. “We have served it at the (ambassador’s) residence” at events at which Chinese residents are guests. “They love it.”

“China buys more soybeans from Iowa than any other place in the world. China buys a significant amount of pork from Iowa.”

Branstad’s appearance was part of an event hosted by the Chinese Association of Iowa, the Immigrant Entrepreneurs Summit and the Iowa-China Business Council.