Chinese Food Exporters Strive to Meet Challenges

China's booming food export industry is facing a difficult year as the overall environment for Chinese food export has tightened and stricter examinations are required from Western importers.

Many food export firms in the spring session of the Canton Fair, the largest trade fair in China held in the latter half of April, were daunted by the rising examination costs after the dumpling poisoning case in Japan early this year, although the case was believed by both sides to be an individual one of sabotage. As a result, food exports to Japan and the Republic of Korea decreased drastically in the first quarter.

"Weihai (in east China) is a traditional apple export base, but the export to the EU and U.S. has become pretty difficult recently because of the strict requirement of the pesticide residue indexes," said Tian Xuqing, director of the Weihai Municipal Chamber of Commerce of Fruit Import and Export.

"Whatever amount you export to the EU countries, they always send experts to investigate the food quality in the producing and processing areas," he said.

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