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Bush Creates Import Safety Panel

Staff and agencies

18 July, 2007

By TOM RAUM, Associated Press Writer 17 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - President Bush on Wednesday established a high-level government panel to recommend steps to guarantee the safety of food and other products shipped into the United States and to improve U.S. policing of those imports. The White House denied the effort was aimed primarily at China.

"The administration is concerned about the safety of imported products that Americans eat and use and we‘ll start working on concrete steps to address whatever problems they may uncover," said White House spokesman Tony Snow.

"This is not a slap at China," said Snow when asked if he thought China would be offended by Bush‘s action. "This is in fact a normal piece of business. We get food imports from 150 countries around the world. It‘s important to monitor them all."

Bush created the new panel with an executive order.