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The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) released MARA Decree [2022] No. 2, announcing the revised Administrative Measures for the Safety Assessment of Agricultural GMOs. The finalized Measures, which were previously notified to the WTO...

On January 24, 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) issued Guidelines for Safety Evaluation of Gene-Edited Plants for Agricultural Use (Trial), which for the first time establish application procedures and requirements for gene-edited plants.

The Agricultural Trade Office (ATO) in Beijing coordinated with FAS Trade Missions and Shows to conduct "Snack and Relax!", a hybrid Virtual Market Showcase for U.S. snack and craft beer products from December 14 to 16, 2021 (China Standard Time). Despite extraordinary obstacles in the form of sudden, stringent COVID-19 control measures on hotel conference centers and 48-hour nucleic acid test requirements for all in-person attendees, the three-day event hosted 106 one-on-one meetings that connected 16 U.S. exhibitors with 24 buyer companies in China.

FAS and the U.S. Grains Council (USGC) in China worked together to educate, train, and promote Chinese breweries on how to use U.S. craft beer ingredients including hops and barely malts. Although U.S. hops and barley malts are priced higher than competitors, brewers have increasingly sought out U.S. ingredients for their high quality and stable supply.

On January 21, 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) published 2022 Decree No. 2 which amends some articles of four seed related regulations with immediate effect. These regulations include rules for registration of GE seed as well as crop variety registration and seed protection.

On December 23, 2021, the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) published a notice that the inspection and quarantine requirements for imported dairy products, which include health certificates, import quarantine permits, and testing reports will now be subject to the details specified in GACC Announcement No. 114. Additional information for U.S. firms exporting dairy and infant formula products may be found within the executive summary.

U.S. food and agricultural product companies exporting goods to China are encouraged to verify their Chinese Import Food Enterprise Registration information inside the Chinese "Single Window" website. In addition, this report provides information on how to search for facility registration numbers issued by GACC.

China’s Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional (HRI) sector recorded $ 573 billion in sales revenue in 2020, a 15.4 percent decline from 2019. COVID-19 led to many restaurant closures during the first half of 2020, but the industry rebounded in the second half and even exceeded the pre-pandemic scale by the end of 2020.

On January 6, 2022, China notified the Measures for Administration of Quarantine Access of Entry Animals and Plants (Draft) to the WTO SPS Committee as G/SPS/N/CHN/1244. The comment deadline is March 7, 2022.

On January 11, 2022, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) announced it will conduct an Expiry Review on the antidumping (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) measures imposed on U.S.-origin distiller’s dried grains with or without solubles (DDGS).

China's formidable food processing sector remains vibrant despite the challenges posed by the COVID- 19 pandemic. However, COVID-19 import control measures hamper trade. Despite this, China can be an attractive destination for U.S. ingredients. Products with significant sales potential include cheese, tree nuts, dried and frozen fruit, and pulses.

The planting seed sector remains a priority for the People’s Republic of China (PRC). The PRC government released new measures and policies to support and improve the operating environment for the domestic seed industry throughout 2021.