Spain and China: a deal to export stone fruit to the Far East

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and the Spanish Environment signed in Beijing, the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements to open the Chinese market for Spanish exports plum, peach, nectarine and Paraguay, closing the long process of negotiation between the MAGRAMA and phytosanitary services and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of Quality of RP Beijing China (AQSIQ its acronym in English).

The start of exports is now awaiting the visit of inspectors AQSIQ to Spain, specifically to farms and facilities for cold and registered handling the specific record opened by MAGRAMA this purpose, to verify in the field compliance requirements. The visit of Chinese inspectors is scheduled for late May or early June, so FEPEX estimated that the first Spanish exports expected by air, can start this campaign.

FEPEX, which has been actively involved throughout the entire negotiation process, considers that the signing of the Protocol is of strategic importance for the sector of fruit Spanish bone because it opens one of the markets with the greatest potential for consumption in the world, virtually closed to imports from other producing countries. Spain is the first EU Member State authorized by the AQSIQ for export stone fruit to your market.

Chinese imports of stone fruit are extremely limited, being 17,137 tons of plums from Chile, New Zealand and the United States and 74 tons of peach and nectarine Australia, according to FAO data.

FEPEX considers that with the opening of the Chinese market one of the objectives of the internationalization of the food industry, chaired by the Ministries of Agriculture and Economy and Competitiveness and the representative organizations of agrifood sectors involved is fulfilled, having proposed FEPEX in this area to China as one of the top priorities of the fruit and vegetable sector.

Source: FEPEX