China and Estonia sign agreement for dairy products to be exported to China
During the visit, AQSIQ and the Estonian Ministry of Rural Affairs signed a protocol to lay the foundation for bilateral trade of dairy products between the two nations. The Chinese ambassador to Estonia, Qu Zhe, attended the meeting and signing ceremony.
The AQSIQ delegation also visited some local dairy companies while in Estonia.
According to statistics on the Estonian dairy industry website, dairy products were responsible for 36% of all exports in 2011 (most recent figures).
In 2012, the country published a strategy for milk production up to 2020, calling for an increase in milk production and investment in the dairy sector. It noted that in 1990, Estonia produced twice as much milk as it did in 2010, meaning that there was a capacity for huge growth in the sector.
The report notes that sales to Russia were increasing, however, since the trade embargo on EU products, this source of sales has been removed. Before joining the EU, Estonia’s main dairy exports were to the Netherlands and Germany – after joining, the main markets were Latvia, Lithuania and Finland.
