China grants market access to 15 food categories from Belt and Road countries

SHANGHAI -- China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) on Wednesday granted market access to 15 categories of food products from 10 countries, including South Africa and Belarus, paving the way for more food products from Belt and Road countries to reach Chinese dining tables at a faster pace.

The move was announced at a conference on the import and export food safety cooperation mechanism for Belt and Road countries held in Shanghai.

In recent years, the food trade has become a new highlight in China's trade with Belt and Road countries. In the first three quarters of this year, China's food trade with these countries reached 915.24 billion yuan (about $128.92 billion), up 2.5 percent year-on-year.

Since the establishment of the Import & Export Food Safety Cooperation Mechanism for the Countries of the Belt and Road Initiative in 2023, notable progress has been achieved, said Sun Meijun, head of the GAC, at the conference.

"Thanks to the green channels for fresh and perishable goods, Thai durians can now reach Chinese markets within just 13 hours, while Chinese cold-water salmon can arrive in the Indonesian market in only 39 hours," Sun added.