China selects 25 firms as export champions

China’s Agriculture Ministry has named 25 export champions as part of a state-driven effort to secure higher export earnings.

The 25 companies, given status as an “Accredited Company for Quality Development in International Trade in Aquatic Products", were announced at a recent seminar in Qingdao. Included on the list were Guolian Aquatic and Evergreen – both shrimp-focused firms located in Guangdong – and Guangxi Jin Hai Ying Foodstuffs., which ships catfish to the U.S. market.

Also on the list was Ningde Jin Sheng Aquatic Products Co., which farms and ships whole and processed croaker as well as eel to international markets. Also on the list of 25 companies was the giant state-run Zhejiang Xing Ye Group, part of a broader conglomerate based around Zhoushan, the country’s busiest fishing port.

Presenting the list, Song Ju Guo, deputy head of the trade promotion bureau at the Agriculture Ministry, said the 25 firms would promote the “high-quality development” of Chinese exports and would serve as beacons of best practice for other Chinese firms with export ambitions.

The Qingdao seminar heard from various trade and marketing experts as well as seafood executives on branding, certification, and trading conditions in international markets. Guo said his hope was that the seminar and the list would set a higher bar for firms which China licenses for export business, with a primary goal being to raise the level of production value of China’s seafood-processing sector. That could subsequently push smaller firms to focus on the domestic market.

Photo courtesy of Guolian Aquatic