On 12 May, the General Administration of Customs of China published on its official website Announcement No. 48 of 2023, which allows the import of French pork that meets the requirements with immediate effect. The full text of the announcement is as follows:

"According to the relevant laws and regulations of China and the regulations of the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty of the French Republic regarding the inspection and quarantine requirements for China's pork imports from France, with immediate effect, imports of French pork meeting the relevant requirements are allowed."

It is noted that the import of French pork to China is not a new admission, but an update of the inspection and quarantine requirements: a clause on the regionalised management of African Swine Fever has been added:

"With regard to African swine fever, the provisions of the Cooperation Agreement between the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China, the State Forestry and Grassland Administration of the People's Republic of China and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the French Republic on the regionalised management of African Swine Fever, signed on 13 December 2021, shall apply."

The cooperation agreement on the regionalised management of African Swine Fever was already signed between the two parties in 2021; this agreement is now incorporated into the inspection and quarantine requirements.

The agreement on the regionalisation of African Swine Fever is an important result of the high level of bilateral cooperation between France and China and provides "insurance" for French pork trade to China. The lessons learnt are worth learning from other countries with similar aspirations.

Source: OIG Research