Moves to Open Chinese Market to Canadian Beef

CHINA - Moves are taking place to gain approvals to permit access to China for Canadian bone-in beef from animals under 30 months of age (UTM) and live cattle.
calendar icon 27 June 2014
clock icon 2 minute read

The development is the latest in the staged approach to full market access with China first announced in 2010.

Now the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) has shifted its priority to further expand access to include bone-in UTM beef in January 2013 after China approved additional Canadian processing facilities to export Canadian beef to China.

The news, combined with the total number of approved facilities, should lead to expanded access opportunities for Canadian beef.

The progress follows a meeting Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Gerry Ritz had with China's Minister of Agriculture and Vice Minister of General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine in China during the trade mission last week.

CCA President Dave Solverson said China is an important market for Canadian beef and cattle and holds significant potential. He lauded the efforts of Minister Ritz and International Trade Minister Ed Fast for their work to keep propelling the China trade file forward.

“Canadian beef exports to China have grown rapidly since 2012, as a result of rising demand from a growing middle class with an appetite for beef. Chinese demand for beef has grown well beyond what they are able to produce domestically. In fact some forecasts we’ve seen indicate that China could double its global imports of beef per year before the end of this decade. Canada is ready and able to help fill the void,” said Mr Solverson.

Mr Solverson joined Minister Ritz on the trade mission to China. CCA officials attended the World Meat Congress and meeting of the International Meat Secretariat in Beijing to help Minister Ritz promote Canadian beef in China.

Under the staged approach to full market access with China announced in 2010, China gave Canada initial access for boneless UTM beef. The CCA and the Government of Canada have worked since then towards restoring full beef access.

The CCA will continue working to get the technical conditions in place and define the timelines on the expansion to full access.

TheCattleSite News Desk

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