Hong Kong set to receive Korea's pork imports

Hong Kong will begin its first commercial imports of Korea's pork from next week onwards.

Hong Kong has agreed to import pork from South Korean meat processing companies that meet its quarantine inspection rules, starting on Monday (Jan 11).

The agreement came after Seoul provided Hong Kong with a list of 49 local companies that want to ship pork and other by-products to China's special administrative region in advance.

The two sides have been engaged in talks to permit shipments of Korean pork from 2008 with a provisional pact being reached last year.

Under the terms of the agreement, exporters must not only meet quarantine requirements but also provide the names of Hong Kong-based companies that will distribute and sell their products on the market.

In order to ensure food safety, these meat processors will also have to receive supervision from the Korea's National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service prior to the products being exported.