French meat is “welcome” in the Chinese market, Vice Primer Chinese Minister said Tuesday that Lifeng during a visit to a bovine farm in Harquency (Eure) without giving calendar or details about the lifting of current restrictions.
“The two parties work, this issue is advancing well,” he explained regarding the discussions aimed at lighten or increase the restrictions that French exports of meat to China currently prevent, highlighting an “excellent cooperation” between the two countries.
France has no longer exported beef to China since the late 2024, due to a total embargo decreed by Beijing linked to sheep Catarrhale (FCO), a disease not transmitted to man, which essentially affects sheep but also cattle. “Like this trip,” this statement is “reassuring, it is better than closing the door,” said Emmanuel Bernard, president of the Bovine Section of the National Interprofessional Association of Cattle and Meat (Interbev), which awaits “acts.” “The culmination of exchanges will be at a higher level,” he said before the arrival of the Chinese delegation.
According to Emmanuel Bernard, “there are different culinary traditions between this country and ours, they take off, for example, that they love to cook, we queue in China to go and consume” these products that “attract less” in France.
An embargo regarding the risk of a crazy cow disease partially lifted in 2018
During his visit, Lifeng finally questioned Clément Vandecandelare and his son Pierre, breeders of Charolais cows in 50 hectares where they grow their hay and linen, beet, as well as corn to feed cows and lunar. The size of the cattle, the rendering sector, the food of the animals or the gastronomy during the visit, as well as a point on the diseases and the attention provided to the beasts were mentioned.
On Monday, Interbev tried the end of an embargo that dates from 2001 with respect to the risk of spongiform bovine encephalopathy (ENB), scientific name for crazy cows disease, as a “priority.” An agreement signed in 2018 partially raised the embargo, but only refers to certain pieces of cattle less than 30 months: boneless, frozen or refrigerated meat or chopped.
Source: BFM TV
