Eleven of the main Chinese pork meat importers are visiting nine Catalan meat processing industries that are certified to sell pork meat in China -or in the process of being certified- in the framework of a reverse commercial mission organized by the Catalan Federation of Meat Industries (Federació Catalana d'Indústries de la Carn, FECIC). The goal of this commercial action is that Chinese importers could have a direct contact with these Catalan companies through interviews and specific visits to the production centers, in order to end up reaching sales agreements. The Chinese delegation is composed by representatives of two of the main associations in the meat sector, the China Agriculture Wholesale Market Association and the China Meat Association (中国肉类协会).
At the end of 2012 the Catalan Federation of Meat Industries launched its export plan for 2013 aimed at improving the international knowledge of the brand "Catalonia Land of Meat" and to promote the access to new markets. In 2012, meat processing industries located in Girona province increased their exports to China by 41%, with a total sales of 31 million €, being the Spanish province with greater sales in the Asian giant. These sales by companies located in the Girona province represent 50% of the Catalan meat exports and 24% of the total Spanish meat exports. One of the earliest and most active companies in opening new markets in East Asia is Frigorífics Costa Brava, from Riudellots de la Selva, that already in 2008 was one of the first Spanish companies that obtained the certification to sell their products in China.
The Catalan Federation of Meat Industries points out that the internationalization of meat processing companies has turned into a strategic business factor for Catalonia, since their total sales abroad reach 1.4 billion € per year, accounting for 21% of the Catalan industrial GDP and 3.5% of the total Catalan GDP.
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Catalan quality meat (Image from the website of FECIC)[/caption]
