Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
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Amended version - UK Livestock and Livestock products approved for export to China
Amended version
Defra today announced that Chinese restrictions on the import of UK livestock and livestock products to China have been lifted. The foot and mouth disease related restrictions have been in place since the August 2007 outbreak in Surrey.
After a combined effort between Defra, UK industry and the British Embassy in Beijing, the Chinese authorities have announced completion of their risk assessment and lifted their restrictions allowing UK exports to recommence. The Chinese announcement provides an exclusion window of 7 July 2007 to 7 August 2008. UK products manufactured outside of these dates can be exported to China where agreed export certification exists.
Health Certificates are being made available for export to China of breeding pigs, sheep skins, cattle hides, greasy wool and dairy products.
Notes to editors
1. On 4 August 2007, import restrictions were imposed jointly by China's Ministry of Agriculture and Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) on the import into China of UK livestock and livestock products susceptible to foot and mouth disease.
2. Although the UK regained its OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health) Foot and Mouth Disease freedom status on 19 February 2008, we have had to follow Chinese procedure to see the lifting of their ban.
3. We hope that through the joint efforts of Defra, UKTI and various UK livestock industry representatives we have achieved an early recovery of this important set of export markets.
4. Exports from the UK of sheep skins, cattle hides and greasy wool were worth about £40m a year up to August 2007. UK exporters had also started exporting live breeding pigs to China forming the start of some important links for future trade.
5. Final formal agreement of the pig meat protocol to eventually allow the export to China of UK pig meat is also being progressed. China's lifting of its FMD ban is an important step towards progressing this important market for UK exporters. We hope to very soon sign off the protocol which will need to be followed by inspection visits to the UK from Chinese officials and further questionnaires, plant approval work and final certification negotiation.
6. Further enquiries on how to obtain export health certificates should be addressed to Animal Health Offices: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalhealth/about-us/contact-us/search/index.asp
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