This week the first shipment of sea tuna arrived from Malta to China. This follows a number of smaller air cargo exports through the bilateral export agreement that took place between the Government of Malta and that of China in November 2023.
The Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries, Aquaculture and Animal Rights Alicia Bugeja Said said that “The success of these exports to a large new market is testimony to the diligent work of the two governments to be among the first countries in the Mediterranean that we are entering the Chinese market”. She added that “the Maltese Government’s support to help local operators diversify towards new export markets is the result of an agreement between the governments, which involves technical and diplomatic support at every level”.
The first meetings began in 2021 when the government received a request from local operators who were interested in exploring new markets. The diplomatic discussions that followed paved the way for more advanced technical work to ensure that the local product complies with food safety standards as required by the Chinese market. Today we are seeing the fruits of this commitment to this sector.
“These exports arrived at an important moment for local operators who were feeling market pressures from an almost exclusive dependence on one export market. The diversification of the market ensures that local producers can continue to maintain a strong export business while increasing the demand for our products,” said Alicia Bugeja Said. She pointed out that now it is our turn as a government to work to start exporting even the fishermen’s tuna so that they can enjoy better prices for their products.
The parliamentary secretary concluded that: “It is very gratifying to see the commitment of the government leading to these positive results with the aim that the local product remains sought after in global markets. We have worked hard so that today we are seeing that the product of the industry will be delivered to global markets.”
