Customs officers conduct on-site inspections at a marigold cultivation base producing extract products for export. Photo: gs.chinanews.com

China-Latin America economic and trade cooperation continues to deepen, with the latest example being the announcement by Lanzhou Customs of Northwest China's Gansu Province that Longnan marigold extract has entered the Colombian market for the first time, chinanews.com reported on Wednesday. 

According to the report, a batch of marigold extract valued at $1,655, produced by an agricultural technology company in Gansu, has been exported to Colombia. The product will be used for further processing into lutein health supplements. 

There is stable demand for Lutein health supplements in overseas markets, especially in Latin America. As a major economy in South America, Colombia possesses a relatively mature consumer market for natural plant extract products. This first export of marigold extract to Colombia has provided valuable practical experience for Longnan's characteristic agriculture in expanding into international markets, said the report.

"It shows that China's inland provinces are actively striving to go global through the export of processed specialty agricultural products, and also demonstrates that China-Latin America agricultural cooperation is continuously expanding into more specialized and subdivided fields," Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

According to Qingdao Customs of East China's Shandong Province, a batch of 250 tons of Brazilian peanut meal cleared customs and entered China in March after being inspected and released by Chinese Customs. It was the first time that peanut meal from Brazil was imported into China. 

The product can be widely used in livestock and poultry farming, feed production, and other fields, with strong market demand. "Brazilian peanut meal is a high-quality plant-based protein feed. Now that it has obtained import access and successfully entered the Chinese market, it broadens our feed raw material procurement channels, effectively reduces procurement costs, and further strengthens our confidence in expanding trade in Brazilian agricultural products," said Zhang Pu, business manager of China Sinopharm Healthcare Industry Co, according to the customs agency.

Zhou noted that agriculture is an important area of cooperation between China and Latin America. "The two sides are geographically distant and located in opposite hemispheres, resulting in strong complementarity in agricultural products. This natural difference has laid a solid foundation and created favorable conditions for agricultural cooperation," he said.

The Chinese expert noted that enhanced agricultural cooperation serves as the latest testament to the ongoing deepening of economic and trade ties between China and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

In the first quarter, China's trade with Latin America increased by 15.4 percent, official data showed. 

Guo Jiakun, spokesperson of China's Foreign Ministry, told a press conference on Wednesday that in 2025, China LAC trade hit a record high of $549 billion. Also, 27 LAC countries took part in the eighth China International Import Expo. China has made more progress than expected in extending a pledged 66 billion yuan ($9.72 billion) credit line to LAC partners.

China has extended its visa-free policy to Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Uruguay on a trial basis. The number of passenger flights connecting China and LAC countries has increased to 24 per week. The opening of a China-Argentina direct flight set a new record for the world's longest passenger flight. The Chinese hospital ship Ark Silk Road brought humanitarian medical services to local people in many LAC countries, according to Guo.

In December, China's Policy Paper on Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), the third of its kind in less than two decades, was issued. According to the Xinhua News Agency, the paper said that China stands ready to join hands with Latin America and the Caribbean to promote the five programs on solidarity, development, civilization, peace and people-to-people connectivity to advance shared development and revitalization, and write a new chapter in building a China-LAC community with a shared future.

Guo noted that no matter how the international landscape may evolve, China will remain a good friend and good partner of LAC countries, strive for greater progress in carrying out the five programs for the China-LAC community with a shared future, and bring more benefit to people in China and LAC countries.