If the United States banned imports of China's cooked poultry products, the move would disturb bilateral trade environment and affect the two country's trade policies, said the Ministry of Commerce (MOC).

Official sources in China say that on 10 March, the US Senate passed a $410 billion spending bill to keep the government operating until fiscal year 2010 begins on 1 October.

The provision in question states, 'None of the funds made available in this Act may be used to establish or implement a rule allowing poultry products to be imported into the United States from the People's Republic of China.'

Yao Jian, spokesman of the MOC said in a news release that the US move has "severely affected production and operation of China's poultry producers, as well as the production and livelihood of large number of farmers."

Mr Yao said that China has made representations to the US side over the issue through various channels, and would continue to lodge further representations to the United States.

The MOC said earlier that the provision is a typical discriminatory and protectionist practice and it is in serious violation of World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.