The Ministry of Trade and Regional Integration calls up on oilseed and pulse businesses exporting to China to be registered.
The new requirements come into effect on 1 January 2022. Businesses exporting to China may need to apply to be registered and ensure their labeling is compliant well in advance of the requirements coming into effect.
According to the letter the ministry calls exporters which have their own processing facilities including conducting farming, manufacturing, storage required standards registration number to get a permit.
The new requirements cover the registration of overseas food manufacturing, processing, and storage businesses. They also set out labeling requirements. The requirements apply to a broad range of food products.
Previously undisclosed amount of oilseeds that was transported to China has changed its voyage back to the country due to latest new law imposed by the most populous nation in the world and major trading partner of Ethiopia.
On his performance report that Gebremeskel Chala presented on Tuesday April 5 at the parliament said that as per the declaration of China issued late last year agricultural products that are entered into its border from different countries should have pass the requirement that it introduced.
He said that the declaration of the fast growing economy country has designed agricultural commodities like oilseeds and pulses, which are Ethiopia’s major export commodities to China, exporters should have their own processing facilities and required standards registration number to get a permit.
“We have significant number of exporters, while those who meet the criteria are very few. Those who have their own processing facilities are not more than 40,” he explained.
“Without our knowledge about the new standard set by the Far East country sesame seed has been started its voyage to China, however lately we have got the new declaration due to that the consignment is now returning back to Ethiopia,” he added what was happened on Ethiopian sesame seed export in related with the new declaring of China.
According to Gebremeskel, the registration process for exporters that shall align with the precondition is doing and others who do not have the capacity to meet the criteria may use the registration number of other exporters.
On his eight month report of the 2021/22 budget year Gebremeskel said that because of the new import standard that has become in effect in December last year the volume of sesame seeds, which is one of the major export earning agricultural commodity for the country and the major destination for the Ethiopian seeds is China, exported to the second biggest economy in the world has declined by 74 in volume for January 2022 only.
“The volume has declined by 3,477 tons and in terms of value it has reduced by 73 percent in the month of January compared with the same period of last year,” he said.
The Order imposes a new labeling requirement for all food products imported into China to include the registration number on the label of the inner and outer packaging of the food products, which China Customs would examine and verify at the border prior to granting customs clearance.