Photo: X account.
Last week, Uruguay’s first ever shipment of horse meat was sent to the People’s Republic of China, thus establishing a new trade route between Uruguay and the Asian market. The departure of the first shipment of frozen, boneless horse meat was supervised by the Minister of Livestock, Fernando Mattos.
This new commercial route emerged as a result of the strategic alliance signed in 2023 between both countries, after almost 30 years of diplomatic relations. The export of horse meat comes in the face of a recent decrease in Uruguayan exports to the Chinese market, which have witnessed a significant year-on-year decline.
There was a 71% reduction in wood exports, a 53% drop in beef exports and a 24% reduction in the shipments of fellow meat by-products in recent years.
Mattos highlighted that this first shipment “marks a milestone for our country in opening new markets to China. “Very important commercial perspectives open up,” the minister stated.
He highlighted that the plant from which the export of horse meat will begin “has been modernized through the incorporation of new technology, which allows it to meet all the requirements demanded” by the People’s Republic of China.
The director of the Ministry of Livestock, Agriculture and Fisheries’ International Affairs Unit, Adriana Lupinacci Olaso, also participated in the tour of the refrigerator that authorized this first shipment; alongside her counterpart from the Animal Industry Division, Pablo Nadal, as well as the Chinese ambassador to Uruguay, Huang Yazhong.
The Uruguayan government is also seeking to establish a Free Trade Agreement with China, something that President Luis Lacalle Pou considers a priority for his term, which ends in 2025.
In 2022, Uruguay received US$33.8 million for its horse meat exports, becoming the fourth largest exporter in the world. The main destination for horse meat was the European continent, especially Belgium, France, Russia and Germany, although it also made shipments to Japan.
Know the main source:
Uruguay logró abrir otro sendero en las exportaciones a China: Por primera vez logró venderle carne de caballo | Bichos de Campo. (2024, Abril 14). https://bichosdecampo.com/uruguay-logro-abrir-otro-sendero-en-las-exportaciones-a-china-por-primera-vez-logro-venderle-carne-de-caballo/
Other related sources:
El gobierno abre un nuevo mercado con China luego del primer embarque de carne equina| Ámbito. (2024, Abril 13). https://www.ambito.com/uruguay/el-gobierno-abre-un-nuevo-mercado-china-luego-del-primer-embarque-carne-equina-n5981123
Uruguay busca recuperar exportaciones a China | Prensa Latina. (2024, Abril 13). https://www.prensa-latina.cu/2024/04/14/uruguay-busca-recuperar-exportaciones-a-china/