November 7, 2014

Chile, China to sign seafood pacts at APEC meeting

Not only is demand for meat, particularly beef, rising in China but also seafood. And one of the countries that find China a magnet for fishery products is Chile.

The South American country exported last year US$2.27 billion worth of seafood, mostly frozen products such as kelp and salmon.

The seafood trade relations between the two countries will be further strengthened at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Beijing on November 10 to 11 when Chile and China sign seafood treaties to better facilitate Chilean seafood imports to China.

The head of Chile's fishery and aquiculture administration, Raul Sunico Galdames, was reported by China's state press agency, Xinhua, as saying the cooperation deals between the two countries are aimed at improving customs efficiency through better quality supervision, inspection and quarantine of Chilean aquatic products.

Pedro Ovalle, an executive of one of 20 Chilean seafood companies attending an ongoing international seafood exhibition in Qingdao city in eastern Shandong Province, said they plan to export instant seafood, "which will be a perfect choice for people living a busy life in China."

Over 1,200 local and foreign companies are exhibiting at the China Fisheries & Seafood Expo 2014 in Qingdao, which runs from November 5 to 7.