China has brought into force a new protocol allowing imports of Cambodian pangasius.
Negotiated over the past two years between Chinese customs authorities and Cambodia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, the protocol permits Cambodian catfish producers to tap into the massive Chinese market, where demand for pangasius has risen lately.
The agreement, “Inspection, Quarantine, and Veterinary Health Requirements of Cambodian Aquaculture Products Exported to China,” officially opens the door to China for Cambodian catfish (Pangasius djambal), referred to colloquially as “pra."
The accord was delayed for several months until standards at several Cambodian aquaculture facilities were brought into line with Chinese standards.
Volumes of Cambodian pangasius remain low compared to production in neighboring Vietnam, which exported USD 449.8 million (EUR 418.3 million) worth of the fish to China in 2021, nearly a third of Vietnam’s total pangasius exports by value, though that figure was 12.6 percent year-on-year.
Cambodia has tariff-free access to China under a free-trade deal between the latter and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), but trade between the two countries remains tilted in favor of China. Exports from China into Cambodia were worth nearly USD 7 billion (EUR 6.5 billion) of the USD 8.1 billion (EUR 7.53 billion) trade done between the two nations in 2022, though some of that figure is comprised of Chinese inputs into the garment-processing sector, which has seen heavy involvement by Chinese companies. Agricultural goods and other raw materials made up the bulk of Cambodian exports to China.
Cambodia has been a destination for Chinese investment in real estate and tourism. The two countries aim to grow bilateral trade to USD 10 billion (EUR 9.3 billion) by 2023.
Photo courtesy of Nataliia Sokolovska/Shutterstock
