China & Argentina: China’s barley demand to be partially covered by Argentina thanks to new agreement between the two nations

China and Argentina have signed quarantine agreements to allow the import to China of deboned beef, dairy products and barley, China's quarantine administration announced on December, 1.

Bilateral trade has recently improved between the two countries after China in October lifted a de facto ban on imports of soyoil from Argentina, its largest supplier, after a six-month ban amid a wide-ranging trade dispute.

China, the world's-largest beer producer, does not have sufficient domestic supplies of the key ingredient barley. China imported 1.7 million tonnes of barley in 2009, mainly from Australia, Canada and France.

01 December, 2010