The GACC has approved new imports into China including lemons from Uruguay and stonefruit from Kazakhstan
The General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) has issued statements announcing new market access for fruit from Kazakhstan and Uruguay.
China will now accept lemons from Uruguay and peaches and apricots from Kazakhstan contingent on meeting the stipulated phytosanitary requirements.
Uruguay has been able to export all other citrus to China since 2017 but did not have access for lemons until this recent approval.
Citrus is Uruguay’s main fruit export, with the majority of shipments destined for Northern Hemisphere markets as a counter-seasonal supplier.
Agricultural trade between Kazakhstan and China has increased dramatically this year. The Astana Times reported that ”the growth of agricultural exports from Kazakhstan to China has doubled and reached US$653.3m.”
According to Kazakh minister of agriculture Aidarbek Saparov, the main agricultural exports include flax seeds, wheat, barley, sunflower oil, sunflower seeds, waste from processing grains and legumes, seeds and fruits of other oil crops, rapeseed oil, animal feed, and tobacco raw materials.
Peaches and apricots are the first Kazakhstani fresh fruits to gain entry to China, and GACC is reportedly considering granting market access for other products from the Central Asian nation, including potatoes.
