Italian cooked cold cuts can be exported to China. After 10 years of negotiations, cooked ham, mortadella, cotechini and other heat-treated salumi will be able to enter the Chinese market. It is not an indiscriminate opening, but limited to a group of Italian brands authorized to sell cooked cold cuts obtained from pigs born, raised and slaughtered within the Peninsula's borders in China. The authorized companies are Agricola tre valli, Leoncini, Felsineo, Brianza salumi and Lusetti salumi.
The news follows the signing of the memorandum of understanding between Italy and China to promote the exchange of information and cooperation for food safety, in particular regarding regulations, technical requirements, the system of controls and inspections on food and alert situations.
In 2012, the Italian industry exported cold cuts worth €1.11 billion, with values and volumes growing respectively by 7.2% and 3.8% over the previous year. Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and Austria are the main markets for Italian exports. But emerging countries also drove growth in 2013, with trade value increasing by 16.5%.
