The deal, signed earlier this week by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, opens the Chinese market to fresh meat and sausages derived from Spanish pork, among them ham cured on the bone.
Interprofesional del Porcino de Capa Blanca (Interporc) director Alberto Herranz welcomed the agreement. He described it as the result of “important work done for years by the Spanish Government and the pig sector, which highlights the excellent relations between the two countries and the work done by the sector in matters of quality improvement”.
“It opens new opportunities for the national pig sector in the Asian country, in which the 'Spain brand' already enjoys wide recognition thanks to the safety, quality and variety of our products,” he added.
Previously, Spain could only export frozen or boneless meat cured for a minimum of 313 days to China. With this agreement, other types of pork cuts can be exported, which, according to Herranz, would allow Spain to “improve added value in this market; clarify all the conditions required for the export of pork products; and consolidate ourselves as one of the world’s leading exporters”.
According to Herranz, Spain has been among the top three largest exporters of pork products to China, exceeding 300,000 tons and 500 million euros a year in 2017. This growth is predicted to continue, as latest Interporc figures showed that, in the first nine months of 2018, Spain exported a total of 245,749 tonnes of product to China, which represents an increase of 1.2% compared to the same period in 2017.