As a meeting of the annual U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade came to an end , China promised to ease restrictions on imports of U.S. beef according to Chinese Deputy Commerce Minister Wang Chao.

No additional details were offered. Deputy Agriculture Minister Niu Dun said the two sides will work on technical issues, but didn’t provide a timetable for when full-scale imports might be allowed. According to a fact sheet issued by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative that both sides will strive for full resumption of U.S. beef access by July 2014 on the basis of mutually agreed conditions.

The statement continued that both sides will strive for effective solutions to common concerns regarding U.S. beef trade and promote U.S. beef exports to China. U.S. beef was banned in 2003 due to BSE concerns. Promises have been made before to ease those restrictions – but the ban has effectively been maintained.

Wang said Beijing also committed to submitting a new proposal next year to join the Government Procurement Agreement, which extends the World Trade Organization’s free-trade principles to purchases by governments. Government agencies, hospitals and other official entities in China are major purchasers of software and other goods. Business groups say extending the GPA to China could create multibillion-dollar new opportunities for foreign suppliers.

Michael Boddington from Asian Agribusiness Consulting (AAC) has been involved in agribusiness in Asia since 2000. AAC has office both in Vietnam Ho Chi Minh City and China Beijing. So AAC has a thorough understanding of the Viet Nam and China aqua industry and produces up-to-date research reports on the market. We can offer insights on supply and demand trends and comments on the future structure of Asian agribusiness. If you would like to know more please email michael@boddingtonconsulting.com

 http://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/china/story20131220-290624