China Africa Photo: VCG

The first shipment of lamb products from Madagascar arrived in Central China's Hunan Province on Sunday. This follows Madagascar's lamb receiving import approval from China last year and represents China's first-ever import of lamb from Africa.

The shipment, consisting of 50 packages weighing over 900 kilograms, was delivered by air from Madagascar to Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and then transported by truck to a designated inspection site for imported meat in Hunan Province.

Experts noted significant potential for agricultural trade cooperation between China and Africa. With growing policy support, China could significantly expand imports of agricultural products from the African continent.

Although meat imports from Africa are in the nascent stage, China has been actively increasing imports of agricultural produce from the continent. 

"There is considerable growth potential," Song Wei, a professor from the School of International Relations and Diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Sunday.

At the just-concluded Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing, China announced that all least-developed countries with diplomatic ties to China, including 33 African nations, will receive zero-tariff treatment for 100 percent of tariff lines. Additionally, policies such as green channels for quarantine inspection, coordinated standards, and faster customs clearance are expected to boost African agricultural exports to China, Song said.

Meat imports typically require high standards for logistics, preservation, and cold chain transport. 

Song added that China could also provide support to help develop Africa's meat production and supply chain, facilitating African meat exports to China.

Hunan's customs office has conducted 24 assessments for importing African food products, resulting in the approval of wild seafood from Kenya and Tanzania, cashews from Guinea-Bissau, and the first-ever imports of Rwandan dried chilies, Kenyan dried anchovies, and Madagascar lamb to China.

The current shipment of lamb products follows a detailed announcement issued by China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) on July 13, 2023, which outlined quarantine standards, production requirements, processing guidelines, and certification demands for Madagascar lamb. The set of regulations allowed for the official entry of Madagascar lamb to China.

On Tuesday, the first Malagasy food company specializing in lamb products was registered in GAC's database, with registration valid until September 3, 2029.

Trade between China and Madagascar has been growing steadily. According to data from the GAC, the total trade between China and Madagascar from January to July this year reached 6.88 billion yuan ($971 million), marking an increase of 0.9 percent over the same period last year.