The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment is preparing the necessary protocols for Spanish producers of stone fruit to export to China.
In September 2011, the Ministry submitted to the Chinese authorities for risk analysis plum and peach that was one of the essential requirements to export to this country and is awaiting a response from the Chinese authorities.
In September 2011, the Ministry submitted a risk analysis for plum and peach, which was one of the essential requirements to export to China, to the Chinese authorities and are expecting a response from said authorities.
The lengthy paperwork related to the demands of the Chinese authorities, whose resolution has also involved the Ministry of Economy, has blocked Spanish exports so far. According to the Department of Customs and Excise, Spain exported zero tons of fruits and vegetables to China in 2011 and 2012.
For FEPEX, the phytosanitary barriers and the complex compliance of and processing by product masks an extremely effective protectionist policy, and as a result the Chinese market is completely closed to Spanish horticultural exports to this country, while in Spain there is a significant growth in imports from China.