SOURCE / ECONOMY
China allows imports of French pork, will create fast track trade channel for agricultural and food products from France
Published: May 12, 2023 08:14 PM
A worker puts out pork for sale at a supermarket in Yichang, Central China's Hubei Province on October 19, 2022. As pork prices are surging, China will release the sixth batch of central pork reserves this year to ensure stable pork supply, Xinhua reported on October 19. Photo: VCG

A worker puts out pork for sale at a supermarket in Yichang, Central China's Hubei Province on October 19, 2022. As pork prices are surging, China will release the sixth batch of central pork reserves this year to ensure stable pork supply, Xinhua reported on October 19. Photo: VCG


Chinese customs have approved the import of qualified French pork and vowed to jointly create a fast track trade channel for French agricultural and food imports, as the two countries are moving swiftly to strengthen bilateral economic and trade cooperation following recent high-level meetings.

Observers noted that the move, which comes after French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to China in April, is a sign of strengthened ties between the two nations. The deal is expected to generate a blueprint for French farmers who rely on exports to China, the world's largest pork market.
 
The General Administration of Customs (GAC) said in a notice that starting from Thursday, China will allow the import of French pork that meets relevant inspection and quarantine requirements, a move based on relevant laws and regulations of Chinese and French agriculture departments.
 
In a separate statement late Thursday, the GAC said it will "closely work with French counterparts" to build a "French farm to Chinese dining table" whole-chain rapid coordination mechanism to address specific issues related to the imports of French agricultural and food products.
 
Mechanisms will be strengthened and personnel exchanges promoted through regular high-level meetings on animal and plant quarantine and food safety, and a fast track channel for bilateral agricultural and food products will be created, while maintaining national biosecurity, read the statement.
 
The two nations will strengthen cooperation in international organizations, and make contributions to the establishment of global standards for preventing and controlling animal and plant diseases and preventing the cross-border spread of diseases, the GAC said. 

France is also the only country to date in the EU that has cooperated and reached an agreement with China in regional management of African swine fever.
 
France is an important source of agricultural and food products for China, and is China's largest agricultural product import market and second-largest agricultural product trading partner in the EU.

A total of 229 agricultural and food products, including seafood, dairy products, beef, pork, breeding pigs and pig genetic materials, can be exported to China from France. A total of 6,958 French agricultural and food production companies are registered in China - the largest among all EU member states, official data showed.

The approval for pork imports from France is one of the important measures China has taken to strengthen external cooperation and exchanges, expand opening-up and promote the process of globalization, and to ensure the effective supply of important agricultural products for China, Wang Zuli, deputy researcher at the Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, told the Global Times on Friday.

Wang noted that domestic pork supply is generally abundant, but timely imports can help ensure high-quality demand and prevent emergencies. 

France and other European countries have long been important production and export bases of high-quality and high-end agricultural products. In addition to pork, beef, dairy products, wheat and other agricultural products have a lot of room for cooperation, the expert said.

China and France have maintained fast growth in bilateral trade. China's exports to France recorded a historical high in the first quarter of 2023 to reach 131.96 billion yuan ($19.3 billion), up 2.9 percent year-on-year, as the nation aims to further expand cooperation with France and the EU following the recent China-France-EU trilateral talks in Beijing.
 
China stands ready to work with France and other countries to make the pie bigger for two-way trade and share development opportunities, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang said in France on Wednesday, according to a report from the Xinhua News Agency.
 
Qin made the remarks during a meeting with his French counterpart Catherine Colonna. During the meeting, he also stressed China's determination to promote high-quality development and high-level opening-up.
 
The two sides will remain in close contact, coordinate high-level exchanges, expand communications at all levels and explore new areas of cooperation, he said, adding that they should also open markets further to each other, and build a more resilient China-France supply chain.
 
Global Times