Poultry Product Exports to EU Resumes
CHINA - Recently, after six years of export suspension, the first 600 tons of cooked chicken meat was transported to Europe by Shandong Zhucheng Foreign Trade Co., Ltd from Qingdao to the Port of Antwerp in Belgium.For the first time in six years the European Union (EU) market has re-opened its doors to Chinese poultry meat products. However, Shandong is the only province in China permitted to export poultry meat to EU nations at present.
In January 2002, stating that the Chinese residue pesticide system did not reach standards, the EU completely prohibited the import of animal-source products from China.
In January 2004, in connection with the bird flu outbreak in some parts of China, the EU completely banned the import of China-produced poultry products.
In July 2008, the EU Committee passed a resolution that allows member states of the EU to resume import of China's cooked poultry meat products from nine companies, including Shandong Zhucheng Foreign Trade and Shandong Xinchang Group.
Poultry meat exported from Shandong Province makes up half of China's total export, with its cooked poultry meat exports accounting for 60% of the national total.
After the resumed trade, exports from five enterprises in Weifang city, Shandong, may be worth about US $500 million every year.