Poultry Quotas: More Chinese fowls to enter EU market to meet growing demand

World
Europe

01:58

China and the European Union have agreed upon an additional quota on poultry meat, following years of disagreement. Beijing has called the ruling a successful practice under the WTO dispute settlement mechanism. CGTN's Sun Tianyuan reports.

Europe is about to see more Peking ducks on the table over the next few years.

After rounds of negotiations, the Chinese birds have finally earned more space in the European market.

GAO FENG, SPOKESMAN CHINESE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE "According to the agreement signed on November 30th, the European Union has agreed to open new quotas to Chinese poultry products."

The new quota will allow an additional 11 thousand tons of duck and chicken meat into Europe.

For Yu Lu, who has been working on the case since 2009, it means more than just figures.

YU LU, VICE PRESIDENT CHINA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF IMPORT AND EXPORT OF FOODSTUFFS & NATIVE PRODUCE "This has provided a platform to protect the interests of Chinese farmers and the sustainability of the industry. Without the WTO mechanism, we will lose direction in the EU market."

Beijing officially initiated the dispute settlement mechanism in 2015. Two years later, the WTO ruled that the EU's quotas on Chinese poultry products violated trade rules.

SUN TIANYUAN BEIJING "Beijing says it welcomes the decision to resolve trade issues under the framework of the mechanism, and it vows to further promote the global multilateral trading system."

However, this doesn't have to be a bird invasion. Chinese products can bring diversity to the table.

YU LU, VICE PRESIDENT CHINA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF IMPORT AND EXPORT OF FOODSTUFFS & NATIVE PRODUCE "The EU has a demand for duck, and China can easily provide that with our signature Peking ducks. China's chicken exports can also complement the European market. Chinese like to eat chicken thighs and feet, while the Europeans prefer chicken breast."

Yu says when there is demand, there is a market. It exists because of the consumers' confidence in the products they purchase. Sun Tianyuan, CGTN, Beijing.