By Xuefei Chen Axelsson

STOCKHOLM, Jan. 10(Greenpost) — In connection with an export promotion visit by the Finnish Food Authority and Permanent Secretary Jaana Husu-Kallio from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, China has granted its first export licence for Finnish fish products. The export authorisation granted by the Chinese authorities is specific to certain establishments, and it currently applies to one Finnish fish product manufacturer, according to a press release from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.

The export licence concerns Finnish fish only, while Norwegian salmon cannot be exported to China via Finland. The licence is applicable to certain fish species and products, including frozen, salted and smoked Finnish salmon, rainbow trout, common whitefish (lavaret) and roach fish.

– Promoting the blue bioeconomy is one of the Finnish Government’s key projects. The opening of the Chinese markets for fish products means enormous opportunities for the whole fisheries sector in Finland. The global demand for fisheries products from our clean waters keeps growing, says Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Jari Leppä.

Opening the export licences has been prepared as a collaborative effort by the export team of the Finnish Food Authority (until the end of 2018 the Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira). The Chinese authorities have been provided with comprehensive analyses on the manufacture of fish products in Finland, and the authorities have visited Finland to inspect the production facilities.