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China continued to be the world’s largest food importing country in 2023, with total food imports valued at $140 billion. The United States was the 4th largest source of China’s imports of consumer-oriented agricultural products in 2023.

FAS China attended the annual China Pea Conference and Plant-Based Congress, which was held in Shanghai, July 2024.

FAS China forecasts commercial production of in-shell walnuts to rebound 11 percent to 1.5 MMT in MY 2024/25 supported by favorable growing conditions in major production areas. Improved world supplies and changing dietary concepts will likely drive nut imports to continue rising.

China’s MY 2024/25 sugar production is forecast at 11 MMT, up 600,000 MT as acreage for both cane and beet are up and competition crops are less profitable.

Feed demand in marketing year (MY) 2024/25 is expected to recover slightly, with a projected total volume of 286.5 million metric tons (MMT). Corn is expected to dominate feed composition due to low prices, replacing wheat and old stock rice.

The National Standard Soil Environment Quality Risk Control Standard for Soil Contamination of Agricultural Land (Trial Edition) (GB15618-2018) was published jointly by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on June 22, 2018 and it entered into force on August 1, 2018.

The National Standard for Irrigation Water Quality (GB5084-2021) was published jointly by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and Ministry of Ecology and Environment of the People’s Republic of China on January 20, 2021 and it entered into force on July 1, 2021.

U.S. pet food exports to China have grown with the increasing number of registered facilities and approved import licenses. The largest share of Chinese pet owners lives in second-tier cities, with export opportunities for U.S. pet food brands that want to reach more of the Chinese market.

China removed quarantine access requirements for frozen fruit imports in August 2024. This allows frozen fruit imports from any country, according to the updated imported food catalogue by the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC).

The National Health Commission (NHC) and the State Administration of Market Regulation (SAMR) published the National Food Safety Standard for “Sanitary Practices for The Production of Cooked Meat Products” (GB 19303-2023) on September 6, 2023.

Forecast soybean production for MY 24/25 is unchanged at 19.6 million metric tons (MMT) based on a planted area of 9.95 million hectares (Mha). Relatively low and declining soybean meal (SBM) prices since the beginning of MY 23/24 could encourage more SBM use in feed production.

Forecast MY 24/25 cotton production is 5.9 million metric tons (MMT), unchanged from the previous report and the estimate for MY 23/24. A marginally higher yield estimate of 2,014 kg/Ha offset a slightly lower planted area unchanged from the previous report at 2.93 million hectares (MHa) on lower cotton profits in regions outside Xinjiang in MY 23/24.