UK food trade delegation to visit China to boost dairy exports

The UK’s Environment Secretary Owen Paterson is heading a food trade delegation to China this week, as part of a drive to increase dairy exports to China and boost the UK economy.

The UK is seeking to take advantage of the increased demand for Western-style milk, cheese and yogurt in China.

Paterson will meet dairy companies, trade associations, industry experts and retailers in Shanghai in order to initiate trade development with China, and will also showcase tea, desserts, beer, meat and confectionery products produced by British companies.

Several small- and medium-sized British businesses will be in Shanghai to sell their products to 30,000 importers at the Food and Hotel China exhibition, a trade show focused on imported products, which will be held from 14 to 16 November.

Paterson said that there has been a growing interest for dairy in China, and Britain’s food industry can address the demand.

"I’ll be helping British businesses grab the opportunity with both hands, so our country competes and thrives in the global race," Paterson added.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the department responsible for policy and regulations for food in the UK, noted that Britain currently imports £1.2bn more dairy produce than it exports, which indicates that there is a lot of scope for growth at home and abroad.

Domestic producers are struggling to meet the increased demand for dairy products in China and, while the UK can significantly boost production, other countries under the European Union (EU) are restricted by milk quotas until 2015, according to Defra.

In order to improve trade with China, Defra plans to hold a dairy export summit in 2013 to share insight into the Chinese market with other companies.