Titled: Cheese Importers Caught in China's Trade Tensions
As per reports from cheese industry sources, Chinese suppliers now cannot import popular French cheese varieties like Brie, Camembert, and Roquefort.
"The entire soft cheese market in China is now closed," confirmed William Fingleton, spokesperson for the European Union delegation in China.
This ban effectively means banning renowned and traditional European cheeses that have been safely imported and consumed in China for decades. Fingleton added, "There seems to be no solid reason for this ban as China believes the same cheese is safe when produced domestically."
A dealer conceded that only hard cheeses like Cheddar, Comté, and Manchego could be sold following the restrictions. Shanghai Cheese Republic CEO Vincent Marion expressed concern in a WeChat notification issued on Thursday, warning clients about the ban.
A representative from Shanghai Fuzhen Trading Co., an international food importer, acknowledged receiving a prohibition notice from regulators in June. However, other suppliers for Cheese Republic reportedly alerted Marion of the issue only two weeks ago, mentioning that Chinese officials had been blocking soft cheese imports in the country since then.
"We can only sell existing stock, imported before the ban," Marion explained. Soft cheese typically accounts for around half of Cheese Republic's offerings.
Related: China First Imports U.S. Rice
Industry officials expressed concern over this ban. Fingleton from EU stated, "The European cheese industry is deeply concerned about this ban as it might affect numerous other cheese varieties in the future."
China has had a strict stance against cheese imports in the past.
In 2014, the UK imposed a temporary ban on British cheese sales after thorough inspections by food safety officials in a UK-based cheese factory uncovered poor sanitary conditions. Similar to a 2008 Italian ban on mozzarella cheese following a product recall in Italy due to potentially cancer-causing dioxins.
(Mozzarella cheese is reportedly not part of the most recent ban by China.)
Marion mentioned that Chinese authorities occasionally blocked a specific cheese for a short period, but that was different from this extensive ban.
"It's quite surprising that they chose to restrict such a large scope of products," Marion said.
Although China's food safety administration did not provide an immediate response to our request for comment, previous incidents showed it taking a firm stance against food safety issues.
Sources:
- ,
