Dairy Goods' Exports See Massive Fall

Dairy exports have ground to a halt during what traditionally is the industry's busiest time of the year, thanks to the tainted-milk food scandal.

Latest General Administration of Customs (GAC) figures showed that only 1,036 tons of dairy products were exported in October, down 92 percent year-on-year. From January to September, the monthly average export of dairy products was 12,000 tons.

The milk food scandal has created distrust in other China-made food products, and stunted their exports, too.

But the U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) on economic, trade and food safety issues, which starts on Thursday, could prove to be the silver lining in Chinese exporters' dark clouds.

Struggling Chinese food products' exporters are pinning their hopes on the SED, for official sources have said it is "highly possible" that the two governments would reach an agreement to ease the restrictions on Chinese food exports to the U.S.

Sources in the China General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) also said the dialogue could at least pave the way for the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to accept tests carried out by AQSIQ as independent, third-party certification.

Source: China Daily