Ukraine opens Chinese market to flour, but there will be no quick deliveries – opinion
The entry of Ukrainian wheat flour into the Chinese market is a strategically important step, but don’t expect immediate mass shipments, said Rodion Rybchynsky, director of the Ukrainian Millers’ Union.
"Opening the market at the interstate level signifies the creation of a legal and technical framework, but this is not a signal for the immediate start of exports. There will be no immediate commercial deliveries for now. Signing the protocol is only the first step, defining production and control requirements, creating the conditions for future operations," the association’s press service quoted him as saying on Facebook.
One of Beijing’s most stringent requirements remains full product traceability. This means monitoring the entire supply chain: from the specific field where the wheat was grown to the final batch of flour.
According to the association’s director, building such a control system is a systematic undertaking that cannot be completed in a few weeks. In addition to technical barriers, exporters face complex logistics and economic challenges.
As Rybchynsky noted, the Chinese market remains challenging due to high import duties and VAT. The situation is further complicated by security risks to Ukrainian port infrastructure, which increases the cost of sea freight and makes the formation of large consignments challenging.
The Union of Millers of Ukraine is confident that the mere fact of approving the protocol is a seal of quality for the domestic control system. This confirms that the flour meets the standards of one of the world’s most demanding markets, which will ultimately enable diversification of sales of high-value-added products.