General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) granted rice export licences to 43 Myanmar rice companies

The authorized companies for rice export to China have increased from 11 to 43 this year, after inspecting 43 Myanmar rice companies and 79 rice mills in line with SPS Protocol (Sanitary and Phytosanitary Protocol). The General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China (GACC) granted licences to 43 Myanmar companies on 10 July 2020 to export the rice to China through a legitimate trade channel. In order to have legal rice export channel to China, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation of Myanmar (MoALI) and the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China (AQSIQ) signed an agreement on 24 September 2014 regarding SPS protocol. Only 11 companies were given green light for rice export then.
According to Article 3 of the SPS Protocol (Sanitary and Phytosanitary Protocol), an inspection of rice exporters and rice mills is mandatory, which is in keeping with the criteria set by the GACC. After a series of negotiations between Myanmar and China, MoALI and GACC officials signed an agreement on broken rice export on 17 January 2020 during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Myanmar. Following the agreement, Ministry of Commerce, the MoALI, Myanmar Rice Federation and Myanmar’s embassy to China in Beijing made concerted efforts for 43 Myanmar rice export companies and 79 mills to meet SPS protocol requirements. The volume of rice and broken rice exported between 1 October and 7 July in the current fiscal year 2019-2020 crossed over 2.16 million metric tons to the external markets. The export volume of rice is down by 40,000 tonnes, whereas the broken rice export volume is up by 400,000 tonnes compared to a year ago period, the Ministry of Commerce stated. Myanmar’s MoC is trying to boost exports of rice, broken rice, agro-products, fruits and fisheries to China through diplomatic negotiations.—Ko Khant (Translated by Ei Myat Mon)

(The Global New Light of Myanmar: https://www.globalnewlightofmyanmar.com/gacc-grants-rice-export-licences-to-43-myanmar-companies/ )

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