China to unload first US GM corn cargo in four years 

China's quarantine authority has given approval for a 60,000-tonne cargo of US genetically-modified (GM) corn to be unloaded, a company executive said.

 

The cargo arrived at Longkou Port in the northern province of Shandong and the local quarantine bureau had conducted sample testing on Monday (June 21), said Wu Xiangsheng, executive with the raw materials department of Shandong Liuhe Group Co Ltd., the buyer of the cargo.

 

"There is no problem from the quarantine bureau and the cargo was allowed for unloading yesterday evening, but we did not unload because of heavy rain," Wu said on Tuesday (June 22).

 

 

A smooth transaction could boost imports by China, the world's second-largest consumer, from US after drought impacted harvests last year, pushing up domestic prices.

 

The cargo may not be unloaded Tuesday (June 22) as more rain had been forecast, said Wu, adding that the ship had been diverted to Longkou Port because of congestion at Rizhao Port amid large arrivals of soy cargoes.

 

Liuhe Group, a major chicken feed producer, had bought two additional US cargoes from Cofco Co Ltd., the country's largest state-owned trading house, said Wu, with shipment for late June and early July.