China expands agricultural imports from SCO countries

TIANJIN, July 24 (Xinhua) -- China has significantly increased its imports of agricultural products from Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states, according to an SCO meeting on plant quarantine held Wednesday.

In 2024, China imported agricultural goods worth 13.66 billion U.S. dollars from SCO countries, with an average annual growth rate of 13.3 percent since 2001, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) said at the meeting.

Hosted by the GAC, the meeting gathered over 40 officials from SCO countries. Participants held in-depth discussions on joint pest monitoring, early risk warning and the application of smart supervision technologies. Additionally, there was a call for enhanced cooperation in cross-border epidemic prevention.

Zhao Zenglian, deputy head of the GAC, emphasized cooperation in optimizing risk assessment procedures, accelerating quarantine access, and improving customs efficiency through measures such as sharing data and promoting mutual recognition of electronic certificates.