MARKET DEVELOPMENT
23-06-2004
Argentina's Soybeans Face No Problems In China - A
Buenos Aires, June 22 (OsterDowJones) - A ship carrying Argentinesoybean exports to China is disembarking normally in the southern Chineseport of Shenzhen, despite media reports to the contrary, Juan CarlosMorelli, Argentina's ambassador to China, said in a local radio interviewTuesday.On Monday, media reports said China's General Administration ofQuality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, or AQSIQ, had rejected ordetained a 50,000 metric-ton shipment of Argentine soybeans because itcontained an unacceptable amount of fungicide.The news sparked concern that China, which had recently rejected anumber of Brazilian soybean shipments for similar reasons, would causeproblems for Argentine exporters.However, Morelli denied that any Argentine ships were having problemsunloading their goods."The AQSIQ has just confirmed that the ship in question isdisembarking its cargo normally and that, up until now, there has been notype of detention or delay of the cargo," Morelli said in an interviewwith Radio Uno.Morelli was asked by the Radio Uno interviewer, "So this problem hasbeen solved?""There is no problem," Morelli replied.China is the world's No. 1 soybean importer, buying around 20 milliontons of soybeans annually.Argentina, the No. 3 soybean exporter, shipped about 6 million tons ofsoybeans to China in 2003, making China the single most important buyer oflocal agricultural goods last year.Argentine President Nestor Kirchner is scheduled to visit China at theend of this week to boost commercial ties between the two nations.Kirchner will be accompanied by more than 250 representatives ofArgentina's private sector, including a large delegation of agribusinessleaders.
