Speaking at the ‘Entry and Exit Inspection and Quarantine Forum’ last Friday in Shenzhen, China, Freshfel Europe’s Ellen Pay called upon the Chinese authorities to establish workable sanitary and phytosanitary conditions for the entry of European fruits and vegetables into China.
The forum was organised by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China, in the framework of the Shenzhen International Fruit, Vegetable and Technology Trade Show.
Freshfel has repeatedly denounced the rise in the worldwide use of non-tariff barriers, and especially sanitary and phytosanitary barriers, to trade after the conclusion of the Uruguay Round of the World Trade Organisation in 1995. Indeed, to offset the reduction in import tariffs which resulted from the conclusion of the Round, many countries increasingly apply sanitary and phytosanitary barriers to imports, in an effort to shield domestic production from foreign competition. Freshfel regrets that China, the world’s most promising emerging consumer market, falls within this category. ‘Unfortunately, China applies overly stringent phytosanitary import requirements, which make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for European exporters to export fruits and vegetables to China’,” Pay said.
The import of fruits and vegetables into China is conditional upon the conclusion of a pest risk analysis by the Chinese authorities, and the conclusion of a bilateral agreement establishing specific phytosanitary requirements between the country of origin and China. The process leading up to the conclusion of such an agreement, as well as its implementation, is often extremely lengthy and costly for the exporters in the country of origin. According to Pay, “the only bilateral agreement which is currently in effect between China and an EU Member State is the agreement between China and France on imports of French apples into China. However, the conditions stipulated in this agreement are so cumbersome and costly that French exporters have abandoned exporting to China altogether’. An agreement on the importation of Spanish citrus fruits into China is currently being finalised by the authorities of both countries.
She called upon the Chinese authorities to continue to co-operate with European phytosanitary authorities and exporters, and together establish phytosanitary entry requirements for European fruits and vegetables based upon common scientific knowledge and international standards. “We believe that Chinese consumers should be given the opportunity to savour and enjoy the excellent taste and quality of European fruits and vegetables, just like consumers in Europe already have the possibility to enjoy the Chinese fruits and vegetables exported to our countries,” said Pay.
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