On April 22, Danish Minister of Food Jacob Jensen and several Danish and Greenlandic food companies participated in an export promotion event in Beijing, China. During this event, the Danish minister signed three significant agreements with China’s Minister of Customs, Sun Meijun, who heads the General Administration of Customs (GACC). The agreements focus on horse feed, malting barley, and wild-caught fish, facilitating the export of these products from Denmark and Greenland to China.
Previously, Danish exports were primarily centred around pork; however, the market has evolved, and China now represents a diverse array of opportunities for other product categories, including fish and shellfish. While China is an important export market for the Danish food sector, recent figures indicate that in 2024, it became the seventh largest export market for Danish food, down from the third largest in 2022. Exports from Denmark to China are mainly dominated by animal products, with fish and shellfish (35%) surpassing pork (30%) as the largest export item. Dairy products hold a stable third place at 14%. This positions China as Denmark’s second-largest export market for fish and seafood, third largest for pork, and fifth for dairy products.
The agreements signed between the Danish and Chinese ministers are crucial for both economies and can potentially further boost Danish and Greenlandic fish exports. The negotiations for market access for horse feed began in 2019, paving the way for Danish exports to China’s rapidly growing horse breeding industry. The Malting Barley Agreement allows for the export of barley grains intended for malting, which is essential for beer production in China. This agreement includes more flexible import requirements concerning plant health and the presence of specific weed seeds.
Notably, the agreement regarding wild-caught fish significantly enhances market access for Danish and Greenlandic seafood. Historically, Chinese authorities required a detailed application process for each animal species (for example, one application for cod and another for salmon) before exports could commence. However, this new agreement streamlines the process, granting access to all wild-caught fish from Denmark and Greenland simultaneously.
