PNG Companies to Enter China SeaFood Market
More than 70 seafood entities in Papua New Guinea (PNG) could export their seafood products directly to the Chinese market after approval from China’s supervision departments.
The 77 entities, including 35 seafood companies, 31 cold storages, nine fishing vessels and two carriers, are the first group in the industry got accreditation, after China and PNG signed documents on fishery cooperation at the third China-Pacific island countries (PIC) Economic Development and Cooperation Forum held in the Samoan capital of Apia last October.
Chinese Ambassador to PNG Xue Bing said this was an important step for fishery cooperation between China and PNG.
He believed more and more PNG companies would become suppliers for the Chinese market and more and more high-quality PNG agricultural products would be exported directly to China. The China-PNG trade relationship would be further promoted after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is a pride moment for our tuna industry. The future looks very promising with opportunities to access to new markets,” said PNG Minister for Fisheries and Marine Resources Lino Tom.
Lino told a press conference on Monday at Port Moresby, capital of the South Pacific island country, that these registered companies no longer need to go through China’s Hong Kong or Singapore or a third place to access the Chinese seafood market, which is probably one of the biggest in the world today.
Describing this cooperation “a milestone,” Lino said more PNG companies will be added and registered by China’s General Administration of Customs when the health certificate for live seafood is submitted and the administrative requirements are satisfied.