Spain is committed to opening the Chinese market to the export of new meat products

He conveys to the Chinese authorities his interest in moving forward

During his visit to Beijing, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, met with the Minister of the General Administration of Customs, Yu Jianhua, with the aim of speeding up the negotiation of the protocols.

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During the meeting, the minister highlighted the intense work being carried out in Spain to mimprove access conditions to the Chinese market of pork, given the great interest of consumers. In fact, China is the first destination for this product, with a total of 584.000 tons in 2023. The ministry considers it a priority to advance on the issues that are still pending to facilitate exports of pork products.

 

Likewise, the minister has shown his confidence that the Chinese authorities will advance the work that will allow the conclusion of the protocol of beef.

 

He recalled the recent agreement reached between the two countries in February of this year, through which China lifted the embargo on Spanish beef dating back to the "mad cow" crisis of the beginning of this century.

 

In this regard, he stressed that Spain maintains one of the highest health, hygiene and quality standards in the world, which includes surveillance and control systems for animal diseases such as bluetongue.

 

China is a strategic market for Spanish agri-food companies with great development potential. It is currently the first market on the Asian continent for the agricultural sector.

 

According to the export of poultry products, the minister hopes that the new certificate for avian genetics can be quickly closed and the information for a new questionnaire, which the Chinese authorities sent last week, can be updated and an agreement on the protocol for poultry meat can be closed. Negotiations with China have resumed following the declaration of Spain as a country free of avian influenza by the World Organization for Animal Health (OMSA), and the decision of the Chinese authorities to lift restrictions due to this disease on May 14.

 

The minister has also explained to the Chinese head of customs and foreign health the great effort made in Spain and by the Chinese authorities to advance in achieving a protocol for the export of sheep meat and unwashed wool. Once the sheeppox disease has been eradicated in Spain, in November 2023, the minister is committed to restoring normality in the negotiations of these protocols as soon as possible, since there is great interest in both countries in resuming this trade.

 

In addition to these matters, Planas has expressed the clear political will of the Government of Spain to advance in various protocols in the fishing and aquaculture sector.

 

Both ministers have called on their respective teams to resume technical contacts as soon as possible to advance the necessary work to conclude the formalization of the protocols that are in the negotiation phase, so that exports of the affected products can begin. in the shortest possible time.