BEIJING – China has lifted a ban on imports of Belgian pork products, five years after an African swine flu outbreak cut off the sector’s access to key Asian markets.
The news was announced on Friday morning by China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the General Administration of Customs, which said in a joint statement that exports of Belgian pigs and pork must comply with statutory inspection and quarantine requirements.
This was just hours before Belgian Prime Minister Alexander Decroo, who was on a state visit to China, was to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. De Croo has also focused his efforts on China, as Belgium recently took over the presidency of the Council of the European Union, the 27-nation bloc’s intergovernmental body.
“This is very good news for Belgian pig farmers,” Belgian Foreign Minister Haja Rabib told reporters in Beijing. “They are known across borders for their high quality pork. Together [Agriculture] Minister David Clarimbal, I have worked diligently in recent years to lift the China embargo. With results. ”
Belgium is the 8th largest pork producer and 5th largest exporter in the EU, accounting for approximately 4% of the EU’s pork production. After the outbreak in September 2018, 29 countries imposed an embargo on Belgian pork. Almost all countries have since lifted the ban, but China was one of the last to hold out.
The normalization is a godsend for Belgian producers, who have been fighting desperately to regain access to the world’s largest pork market, and have called on Beijing to lower trade barriers amid a growing trade deficit. It will be a small victory for EU leaders, who have been .
“This success not only benefits pig farmers, but also means increased exports and an improved trade balance with China,” Rahbib said.