China has lifted a ban on Belgian pork and pork products imported five years ago in an effort to curb the outbreak of African swine fever (ASF).
The news was announced by China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the General Administration of Customs on Friday, Politico reported.
Hours later, a meeting between Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing confirmed that Belgian pigs and pork imported into China continue to comply with statutory inspection and quarantine requirements. They also issued a joint statement stating that
Related: China bans pork imports from Bangladesh after African swine fever outbreak
This comes after news on Thursday that China had banned entry of pig and wild boar products from Bangladesh after the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) reported an outbreak of ASF was reported in the port city of Chittagong. Ta.
Belgian Foreign Minister Haja Rabib told reporters this is good news for Belgian pig farmers. “They are known across borders for their high quality pork. Together [agriculture minister] David Clarimbal, I have been working hard over the last few years to lift the China embargo. With results. ”
Belgium, the EU’s fifth largest exporter of pork products, was placed under an embargo on exports of pork products from 29 countries after the first cases of infection were detected in the Luxembourg region in September 2018. Since then, these bans have been widely lifted, with China being one of the last countries to do so.
Rahib also emphasized the importance of this decision for China, saying, “This success will not only benefit our pig farmers, but also mean increased exports and an improved trade balance with China.” .
China, which raises about half of the world’s pigs, has ramped up slaughter of tens of millions of pigs since November as it grapples with high costs and low prices since the outbreak, according to a recent report from Reuters. I had to.