South Korean Minister of Ag Lee Dong-phil -- Everyone's getting into the act
Feb 03, 2016
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA -- News in South Korea today is that 30 tons of rice was loaded in containers at Gunsan port on January 29 headed to China, where the rice will be sold in Lotte Mart stores in Shanghai. Another 70 tons will follow in February with a total of 2,000 MT expected to be exported to China this year.
The notice that a phytosanitary protocol agreement had been reached was announced in South Korea on November 10, 2015 (with the announcement of an export quarantine plan being completed on January 7, 2016) after reportedly negotiating on China market access for Korean rice since 2009.
USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward said, “Given the growing interest in China for high quality, safe rice, and the new arrangement with South Korea, we expect a similar political decision will be forthcoming from China that will allow access for U.S. rice. USA Rice has been working with APHIS on U.S. market access to China since negotiations began in 2006, and we expect to be the next country to gain market access there.”