Argentina and China inked five farm-product agreements during a visit to Beijing by Agriculture Minister Julian Dominguez to boost trade, officials reported Tuesday.
"It's a historic moment," undersecretary for livestock Alejandro Lotti said of the deals that cover meat, barley, dairy, apple and bamboo. "The possibility of exporting beef to China is very important, because it is not limited to the most valuable cuts. ... China consumes all the animal's meat."
Dominguez called China a "vital interest" for Argentina, as it has grown to become the South American country's main market for agriculture products, officials here said.
Argentina is China's third-largest supplier of food, behind the United States and Brazil, and trade between the two countries has rocketed from $4 billion in 2004 to $14 billion in 2008, according to official figures.
Overall, China is Argentina's second-largest trading partner after Brazil, and ahead of the European Union.
Argentina projects global agricultural exports of some $25 billion for the 2010-2011 year, with China its largest customer for soybean oils and other products, according to private estimates, with the new deals expected to further boost ties.
