Spain and China sign two new export protocols to boost the cherry and pork market in the Asian country

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food, Luis Planas, and the Minister of the General Administration of Customs of China, Sun Meijun, at the signing of agreements (Pool Moncloa/Fernando Calvo)

The Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, and the Minister of the General Administration of Customs of China, Sun Meijun, have signed two new protocols to export cherries and pork to the Asian country within the framework of the official trip that the president of the Government of Spain made to China. Two agreements signed by the Spanish and Chinese governments increase the export capacity of these two Spanish sectors.

Since 2018, both countries have signed 10 protocols - including the two signed today - on sanitary or phytosanitary requirements for the export of agri-food products from Spain to China, which also include olive paste, pet food, fodder oats, almonds and persimmons.

The new pork protocol will extend the list of authorised products exported from Spain. In fact, the main Spanish product exported to China is pork. In 2024, exports of this product to the Asian country reached 571 million euros. Although it has been on a downwards trend since reaching a record high in 2020, they account for 31% of Spain's sales to that country. The protocol shall be valid for a period of five years and shall be automatically renewed for equal and consecutive periods.

On the other hand, the new agreement for the export of cherries means the opening of this product to the Asian country. The processing, packaging, storage and transport of cherries intended for export shall be carried out under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. It will also be responsible for ensuring that only cherries from registered orchards are allowed to enter the packing shed for sorting and processing. The protocol will be in force for three years from 11 April 2025, the date of signature.

In total, Spanish sales to the Asian country account for 2.5% of agri-food exports. Undoubtedly, China is a strategic market for many Spanish companies and represents a potential for exports from this country. In fact, it is the ninth largest market in value for Spain and the third largest non-EU market after the United Kingdom and the United States.

In 2024, agri-food products worth 1.864 billion euros were exported to the Asian country. These figures show a positive balance in the agri-food trade balance with China of 253 million euros.

Non official translation