China and France have signed deals that will allow China to import pig origin protein feed and pork offal from France, effective immediately. This move is expected to boost French pork exports to China by around 10%.
The announcements come after a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, during Xi’s first visit to Europe in five years.
According to the French farm ministry, the deal on pork offal will expand the list of pork products that France can export to China, its largest pork export market. French pork exports to China amounted to 260 million euros ($279.68 million) in 2023.
The agreements also include a provision that will limit China’s embargoes on French poultry to only the regions where bird flu outbreaks have been detected, instead of imposing nationwide bans as it has done in the past. This is the second such regionalization agreement, after the United States obtained a similar deal in 2020.
The move comes as China has been seeking to reduce its reliance on soybean imports for animal feed, and has previously approved the import of French dairy products for animal feed use.
The expanded access to the Chinese market for French pork products, including offal, is seen as a significant opportunity, as these under-consumed items in Europe are highly popular in China.
Overall, the agreements are expected to boost trade between China and France, particularly in the agricultural sector, as the two countries seek to strengthen their economic ties.