Dim Sums: Agricultural Markets in China

China's heightened concerns about invasive species are adding more red tape and record-keeping requirements to the import process. A new set of requirements for soybean shipments probably contributed to reported delays in customs clearance over the past 6 months.  On July 22, 2023 China customs announced  that each port of entry will conduct a 3-year campaign to crack down on invasive species in imported cargoes and smuggling. According to the announcement growth in international trade has resulted in a growing number of invasive species entering the country, presenting a growing risk. In the first half of 2023 authorities said they intercepted 599 species of nonnative animals and plants, including giant centipedes, savage harvest ants, and spotted salamanders, and "exotic pets" brought in by criminal gangs. Problems include illegal mailing of seeds, plants hidden in shipments of toys, and smuggled tiger bones.  More than 20 years ago, scientists from China's Academy ...

A video circulating in China last week may be the latest example of emboldened rural officials clearing aging villagers off collectively owned farmland. These enclosures with Chinese characteristics can be motivated by the need to increase productivity, lucrative opportunities to grow ornamental shrubs, or just plain corruption. The only power villagers have to assert their interests is their sheer numbers...and that's exactly what communist leaders are most afraid of. The video  appeared to show dozens of villagers stealing corn from a large field in Henan Province. A corn combine unable to complete its harvest sat idle as elderly villagers scooped up ears of corn into bags and loaded them into motorized carts parked in the field. Sirens sounded as police showed up but there were too many people to arrest. The operator of an idled corn combine unable to complete his harvesting work took a video of villagers fighting over a bag of corn in the field. While the videos circulati...

Chinese State media celebrated growing purchases of Brazilian corn as a strategy for breaking the "dominant position" of U.S. corn in China's market. In an October 10 article, " China adjusts corn imports to shift toward Brazil, U.S. loses 'dominant position' ," China's strongly nationalist  Global Times  said, "China is now carrying out corn import diversification to change the excessive reliance on the U.S. as a single supplier." Citing Refinitiv data,  Global Times was thrilled to report that August 2023 imports of U.S. corn were down 83% from a year earlier while corn imports from Brazil went from zero last August to 580,000 metric tons in August 2023. Moreover, Global Times reported that imports of Brazilian corn would rise to 1.22 million metric tons in September while imports of U.S. corn would drop to 70,000 metric tons. China approved Brazilian corn for import late in 2022. Brazilian customs data show that 1 million tons a month ...