The European Union has “expressed concern” and “disappointment” over China’s failure to meet a 1 January deadline to establish low duty tariff quotas for imports of wheat, maize, rice, soybean oil, palm oil, rapeseed oil and sugar, under the terms of its accession to the World Trade Organisation.

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Brussels was joined with Argentina, Malaysia and Brazil in voicing unease. In response to questions from the US and Canada, Beijing said the quotas would be set up in early April. It said that “maximum resources” had been devoted to allocating quotas, but that replacing its old two-tier quota system with a new WTO-compatible arrangement “has been difficult.”


By Keith Nuthall, just-food.com correspondent

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