Chinese pet food exporters expressed shock at US retailers' decision to remove Chinese products from their shelves and called for fair treatment of products made in China.

US pet food retailer Petco announced early last month that it has removed all remaining Chinese-made dog and cat treats from its website and stores nationwide because of concerns they have sickened thousands of pets and killed 1,000 dogs in the United States since 2007, The Associated Press reported.

Chinese pet food inspectors said on Tuesday that "there is no direct correlation between the pet snacks manufactured in China and the disease and death of pets in the US".

"The move will result in losses for the importers and exporters of the two countries and cause misunderstandings among US consumers," the China Entry and Exit Inspection and Quarantine Association said in a statement.

The US Food and Drug Administration said initial tests have not connected Chinese jerky and rawhide treats to any animal illnesses. However, the San Diego-based Petco and its rival PetSmart said in May that they wanted to ban the snacks.

China exported 35,000 metric tons of pet food, worth $277 million, to the US last year, according to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine. The administration said that it has established a joint experts group with the FDA to investigate why pets have died.

"Neither side has found a link between the illnesses or deaths and the pet treats produced in China, nor have they detected anything poisonous in the products," it said.

The association said raw and auxiliary materials and production technology meet US importers requests.

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