BEIJING: China has shown an interest in increasing rice imports from Pakistan, provided it meets specified import formula quarantine standard.
China welcomes Pakistan rice exporters, said Muhammd Yasim, a Pakistani trader, who has been doing business in China for the last 25 years. He hoped that more rice exporters would visit China to find their share in the huge Chinese food grain market.
A Chinese delegation of grain traders recently signed an agreement for the import of 1,500 tonnes of rice from Pakistan. The delegation of the Guangdong Grain Association met with representatives of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) and discussed ways and means to enhance rice imports from Pakistan. It showed satisfaction over the quality of rice and standard of the processing facility.
To meet rice demands of its millions of people, China has also started rice importing from Laos. The first shipment of rice imports from Laos passed through inspection and quarantine procedures at South China’s Shenzhen port, according to local authorities.
China mainly imports rice from Vietnam, Thailand and Pakistan. It recently added Laos to the list. Chinese appetite for grain imports has been growing fast, as the increasingly wealthy population seeks more choices of the staple food.
