China's growing middle class seems to have a growing taste for U.S. beef, pork and poultry.

William Westman, of the American Meat Institute suggests when China officially opens its market to the United States it will have a big impact on world markets.

"In 2011 exports of beef, pork and poultry to the China, Hong Kong region totaled 1.2  million metric tons.  That's up 16 1/2  percent from 2010 and that's with restrictions in the market and high tariffs."

Westman says the total of those exports was $2.1 billion dollars. He says that demand is expected to continue to rise.

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