China agreed to reopen market to German poultry exports

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese prime minister Li Keqiang review the guard of honour at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany on 9 July 2018. Photo: Reuters
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese prime minister Li Keqiang review the guard of honour at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany on 9 July 2018. Photo: Reuters

China has agreed to reopen its market to imports of German poultry meat, German agriculture minister Julia Kloeckner said on Monday.

China had stopped imports of German poultry meat after an outbreak of the bird flu disease in Germany.

Kloeckner said in a statement after talks in Berlin with Chinese agriculture minister Han Changfu that “the Chinese side has come to the conclusion that there is no reason for concern” about German poultry meat.

A Germany/China government summit is taking place in Berlin this week.

China is one of Germany’s largest markets for meat exports, especially pork.

Kloeckner said she also pressed China not to impose a complete ban on German pork should the African swine fever disease be found in the country, but to take a more regional view of the problem.

The rapid spread of the disease in east Europe is causing concern in Germany in case export bans should be imposed by Asian importers.