Chinese and Ugandan officials signing a protocol deal at this year’s Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing | Photo courtesy of the Chinese Embassy of the Republic
Chinese officials signed protocol agreements with a few representatives of African markets during this year’s Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, granting African seafood exporters access to the Chinese market even as data from Chinese customs shows the volume and value of the country’s seafood imports dropped over the first eight months of the year.
China imported just over 3 million metric tons of seafood products over the first eight months of 2024 worth USD 11.7 billion (EUR 10.7 billion), a drop of 5.6 percent by volume and 12 percent by value year over year, according to official customs data.
Nevertheless, Uganda has signed a deal with China that grants entry to Chinese ports for wild aquatic products from Uganda – not including live products. These are expected to include Nile perch fillets and fish maw, among other products.
According to the Ugandan Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry, and Fisheries (MAAIF), some of these products had already been entering China through third countries.