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The green light from Chinese customs, indicated in a statement
posted on the customs authority's website on Friday, comes in
the run-up to talks between the countries in January after U.S.
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed a
moratorium on higher tariffs that would affect trade worth
hundred of billions of dollars.
It wasn't immediately clear how much rice China, which sources
rice imports from within Asia, might seek to buy from the United
States. But the move, which comes after years of talks on the
matter, follows pledges from China's commerce ministry of
further U.S. trade openings earlier this week.
As of Dec. 27, imports of brown rice, polished rice and crushed
rice from the United States are now permitted, as long as
cargoes meet China's inspection standards and are registered
with the United States Department of Agriculture.
"The permission for U.S. rice suggests an improving U.S. and
China relationship," said Cherry Zhang, an agriculture analyst
with consultancy JCI. Zhang said she expected any imports would
likely be ordered by state-owned companies.
Officials at a government-affiliated think-tank in Beijing said
the price of U.S. rice is not competitive, compared with imports
from South Asia, and said the move to formally permit import
should be interpreted as a goodwill gesture.
China opened its rice market when it joined the World Trade
Organization in 2001, but a lack of phytosanitary protocol
between China and the United States effectively banned imports,
according to trade group USA Rice.
Nonetheless in July, China formally imposed additional tariffs
of 25 percent on U.S. rice, even though imports were not
permitted at the time.
(Reporting by Meng Meng and Ryan Woo; Editing by Kenneth
Maxwell)
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