China and Argentina have inked a deal to allow Argentine apples into China, reports Mercopress.com.
This latest agreement – which also opens China’s doors to Argentine de-boned beef, dairy products, bamboo and barley – was signed on Tuesday during a visit to Beijing by the Argentine agriculture minister Julian Dominguez and China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, Mercopress said.
“It's a historic moment,” Argentina’s undersecretary for livestock Alejandro Lotti is quoted as saying about the deal.
Bilateral trade has improved between the two countries since October when China lifted a de facto ban on imports of soy-oil from Argentina, its largest supplier, after a six-month shutdown amid a wide-ranging trade dispute, Mercopress said.
Agriculture minister Mr Dominguez reportedly referred to China as a “vital interest” for Argentina since it now ranks as Argentina’s main market for agriculture products, the report said.
Argentina is China's third largest supplier of food, behind the US and Brazil, and trade between the two countries has rocketed from US$4bn in 2004 to US$14bn in 2008, according to Mercopress.
Overall, China is Argentina's second largest trading partner after Brazil, and ahead of the European Union, the report said.
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