Health authorities from both countries have moved forward with negotiations towards a new market opening in order to boost value-added exports.
In the context of the Argentina-China bilateral agreement on trade of cooled and frozen bone-in and boneless bovine meat, as well as ovine and caprine meat from Patagonia, the Ministry of Agro-industry, through the National Service of Agri-food Health and Quality (SENASA), the Argentine Foreign Ministry and the Argentine Embassy in China agreed with the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China (AQSIQ) on the protocols setting forth the sanitary standards for export authorization.
"This is a new step in our strategy of trade insertion into the world, especially into Asian markets. China is an essential partner for us; in the context of the relationship between our countries, which grows stronger every day, the authorization for entry of Argentine products into the Chinese market shows that we are on the right track and must be welcomed," Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie stated after hearing of China's approval. Minister Faurie added that "Argentine meat is highly valued around the world due to its excellent quality and, in this regard, the Chinese market is increasingly valuing our products."
"This new approval of sanitary protocols is the result of the hard joint work of various technical, economic, political and diplomatic bodies from both countries," the Argentine Foreign Minister further stated.
"As a result of the international policy headed by President Macri, we have been able to reach over 100 markets, taking into account openings and reopenings, by promoting Argentina's role as the supermarket of the world," the Minister of Agro-industry, Luis Miguel Etchevehere, stated, adding that "China is the largest importing market for Argentine meat, mainly frozen boneless meat. In 2017, 50% of meat exports were destined for the Asian country. This broadens the variety of Argentine exportable products."
In turn, the Secretary for International Economic Relations, Horacio Reyser, highlighted that "the signing of this Protocol will allow Argentine bovine meat to enter the market of our second trade partner, which currently imports USD 2.5 billion in beef annually, which is a great opportunity for Argentine producers."
Progress was achieved yesterday through a videoconference held between Ambassador Diego Guelar, Agricultural Attaché Hernán Viola and authorities and technicians from AQSIQ, at the Argentine Embassy in China, and, in Argentina, the president of SENASA, Ricardo Negri, alongside technical teams that have been conducting the negotiations for months.
The videoconference addressed each of the 16 articles of each protocol. An agreement was reached on the sanitary guarantees offered by Argentina and the protocols remain to be signed by the AQSIQ Chinese representative and the Minister of Agro-industry of the Argentine Republic.
Argentina is among the world's 10 largest meat exporters. In the last two years, bovine meat exports have risen by 110,000 tons (bone-in beef) and, in 2017, sales to China brought in a total revenue of USD 405 million.
Sales growth abroad was the result of implementing a scheme based on the elimination of export barriers, opening new markets and focusing all supply chain efforts into investment promotion, as well as of the public-private work agenda which is reviewed every two months alongside the President of the Argentine Republic, Mauricio Macri, at a meeting with the Beef Working Group, which deals with supply chain organization and entry into new markets.
Press release No. 008/18
Press Office: 4819-7375 / 8296 / 7388
@CancilleriaARG