On November 27, 2023, an official meeting unfolded between Aidarbek Saparov, the Minister of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Mr. Yu Jianhua, the Chairman of the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China, TuraNews.kz reports..
The meeting primarily addressed the augmentation of the trade turnover of agricultural goods between Kazakhstan and China. Aidarbek Saparov underscored the substantial potential for trade collaboration between the two nations, particularly in the realm of agricultural products.
Minister Saparov emphasized Kazakhstan’s significant capacity to export chilled beef and pork to China, in addition to frozen meat, poultry items, live cattle, oilseeds, and grain crops. This diversification is expected to notably boost trade between the countries. The Ministry of Agriculture is actively engaged in safeguarding the country’s territory against severe animal and bird diseases, proposing the initiation of meat exports from designated safe zones to the Chinese side.
Mr. Yu Jianhua apprised Aidarbek Saparov of the imminent conclusion of the risk assessment process and the removal of restrictions to resume the supply of Kazakh beef, pork, and poultry meat. A delegation from the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China is slated to visit in December 2023.
Following the evaluation by Kazakhstan’s veterinary service, the Chinese side is prepared to explore the possibility of lifting existing restrictions, paving the way for the resumption of livestock product exports to China. In a bid to foster ongoing collaboration, Yu Jianhua extended an invitation to Aidarbek Saparov to visit China.
It is noteworthy that on November 27, within the framework of a meeting of the Kazakh-Chinese Cooperation Committee, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the General Customs Administration of the People’s Republic of China inked a Protocol outlining phytosanitary requirements for exporting batches of fresh stone fruits (peaches and apricots) from Kazakhstan to China.
Recapping the developments, it’s highlighted that the bilateral trade in the agricultural sector between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the People’s Republic of China surged by 70% over the first 10 months of 2023, surpassing the $1 billion mark. Export figures amounted to $811.1 million, while imports reached $197.4 million during this period.
