Browse Data and Analysis

On March 28, 2024, China notified the National Food Safety Standard of Maximum Residue Limits for Pesticides in Foods to the World Trade Organization (WTO) under G/SPS/N/CHN/1299.

Mexico’s 2024 avocado production is forecast at 2.77 million metric tons (MMT), a five percent increase over 2023 on strong export demand. Production in 2023 reached 2.65 MMT, up four percent compared to the previous year.

Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) have updated the laws on allergen labeling for foods sold throughout Australia and New Zealand. The new allergen labeling laws are called PEAL – Plain English Allergen Labelling.

Bite size local news, Post reports and activity summaries wrapped by ATO Hong Kong. In this issue: Hong Kong’s Market for Consumer-Oriented Products Holds Steady at $21 Billion; Quarterly Business Receipts For Service Industries Increases in Q4; Macau’s Migrant Population Grows, Ageing Ratio Climbs; Michelin Announces Seven Bew Big Gourmand Restaurants in Hong Kong and Three in Macau...

Production volumes of wheat and barley in marketing year (MY) 2024/25 are forecast to remain unchanged compared to last year, while corn production is expected to drop year-to-year by 1.2 million metric tons (MMT) as farmers switch to growing more profitable crops, such as cotton and other row crops.

FAS/Cairo (Post) forecasts Egypt’s soybean imports in marketing year (MY) 2024/25 (October – September) to increase by 14.8 percent from the previous marketing year, due to an influx of foreign currency into Egyptian banks.

Post projects marketing year (MY) 2024/2025 soybean production at 10.3 million metric tons (MMT) with increased planted area of to 3.59 million hectares on increased second crop planting.

Taiwan’s soybean imports are forecast at 2.65 MMT for MY2023/2024 and MY2024/2025, a slight recovery from the previous MY. Weakness in feed demand due to animal diseases was one of the causes for lower soybean imports and reduced crush for MY 2022/2023.

In 2023, Taiwan imported US$3.7 billion agricultural products from the US, which accounted for 24.47 percent of the island’s total import value. Its food processing industry produced $30 billion of processed food and beverages, among which the strongest subsectors are animal feed, meat processing, baked goods, and non-alcoholic beverages.

The Brazilian Food Processors' Association reported 2023 Brazilian food processing sector revenues at US$231 billion, a growth of 7.2 percent compared to the previous year.

Post forecasts an increase in marketing year (MY) 2024/25 cotton imports on higher global demand for ready-made garments. Despite Bangladesh’s economic challenges, Post maintains MY 2023/24 cotton imports at 7.5 million bales, on lower yarn and fabric imports.

FAS/Tel Aviv (Post) forecasts Israel’s marketing year (MY) 2024/45 wheat imports to increase due a decline in domestic production, a need to increase stocks because of the Israel-Hamas conflict, as well as lower international grain prices.