Thanks to the bilateral trade protocol signed between Switzerland and China and the registration of five Swiss meat-processing firms, announced by Zhang Jiwen, Vice Minister of China’s General Administration of Customs, during his working visit to Berne on the 14th of June 2019, China opens up market access to Swiss pork producers.
According to Chinese Customs data, China imported 136,517 tons of pork in April 2019, up 24% from the same month a year earlier, as the world’s top consumer of pork stocked up on supplies amid concerns of a looming shortage.
The surge in imports follows the spread of the African swine fever virus to every province of mainland China since August last year, reducing the national herd by up to 200 million animals, according to one estimate. With domestic pork production expected to be down by at least 30 percent in 2019, importers began buying up supplies from abroad earlier this year.
For as long as it takes China’s pig industry to recover – which may be years – pork producers elsewhere may have cause to yearn. Foreign producers, whether in Brazil, Europe or America, cannot make up the vast amount of production that will be lost in China, but they will have more opportunities to sell their pork there.
As the prosperous market scene is unfolded in front of any interested Swiss pork producers, before making a decision whether or not to join the battle, it is important to know the structure of the registration procedures and to be prepared for what is waiting ahead. Obtaining the knowledge is the fundamental base of a good start.
Find out more about the following in our fact sheet!
- Registration process for pork export to China
- Necessary pre-export approval process
- Requirements for pork products
- Labelling, marking and packaging requirements
- Needed documents for customs clearance
- Overview of the Chinese government agencies and bodies
