June 17, 2004

China Tightens Soybean Inspection At Ports

China further tightened the port inspection of soybeans imports, and reiterated its ban on 23 suppliers from selling Brazilian soybeans to the country, according to a notice on the official Web site of Chinese quarantine authority Thursday.

China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, or AQSIQ, informed its inspection arms in every Chinese port to "inspect carefully" and told them "no soybean cargo should be allowed into China should it not comply with rules stipulated earlier" in the notice.

Despite the cargo dispute between China and Brazil, with Brazilian exporters' threatening to file a complaint against China with the World Trade Organization, China's government agency reiterated its ban on 23 suppliers after "red fungicide-coated seeds have been found repeatedly in Brazilian soybean cargoes."

The move "is to strengthen the quarantine inspection of soybean imports and to prevent poisonous and harmful products from (putting) people's health (at risk)," the notice said.

Every soybean importer will have to present to AQSIQ the complete name of foreign exporter and supplier, when applying for an import permit for cargo inspection. The names of the foreign exporter and supplier will then be printed on the new import permit for cargo inspection.

"Port personnel please be informed. This notice is to be carried out strictly," the notice said.