China-Argentine talks continue as soyoil row drags

Argentine officials said on Tuesday (June 1) that China remained willing to discuss a freeze on the South American nation's key soyoil exports, but there were no signs of a deal to end the two-month trade spat.

Argentina is the world's top exporter of soyoil and concern is growing among oilseed exporters over the row, which flared in late March after Argentina imposed anti-dumping measures on a host of Chinese manufactured goods.

A team of Argentine negotiators is in the Asian country and Alfredo Chiaradia, Argentine secretary for international economic relations, said "both sides expressed our willingness to maintain serious negotiations to resolve the problem."

Chinese quarantine officials offered no signs that Beijing might end the curbs on the Argentine soyoil imports. According to reports, the quarantine bureau said the country's new food safety committee had adopted a series of measures to control food safety and that the bureau was willing to communicate and cooperate with Argentina over the issue.

However, the report did not mention soyoil but said the bureau would adopt an active and positive attitude in dealing with Argentina.

Trade sources said last month that Beijing was getting tougher on imports from Argentina, prompting buyers to cancel or shift all previously booked cargoes.

The bureau has imposed strict standards over imports from Argentina as part of a broader trade dispute, which threatened annual imports of the edible oil worth US$1.4 billion last year.

Meanwhile, bilateral trade between the two countries in 2009 fell 46% to US$7.79 billion, figures from China's Commerce Ministry show.