Browse Data and Analysis

Bite size local news, Post reports and activity summaries wrapped by ATO Hong Kong. In this issue: ATO Hong Kong Launches Branding Video Campaign on Social Media; Hong Kong Workforce Sees Biggest Decline in Decades

Export prices of Thai rice dropped 1-2 percent due to the weakening of the Thai baht and limited trading during the Thai New Year’s holiday.

On April 12, 2023, the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) jointly published a draft “Implementation Opinions of SAMR and MARA on Carrying Out Crop Seed Certification" for comment.

In marketing year (MY) 2023/24, Colombia’s sugar production is forecast to increase 2.2 percent to 2.35 million metric tons (MT), due to the end of "La Niña" weather phenomena and the beginning of "El Niño" weather phenomena.

This report summarizes the activities and outcomes of FAS Bogota's SaborUSA digital marketing initiative (July 2021 – June 2022) and its focus on promoting U.S. popcorn in Colombia.

Ecuador's sugar production in marketing year (MY) 2023/24 is forecast to remain at 530,000 MT, the same as the previous year's estimate, despite a significant increase in planted area of sugar cane.

The March 2023 Essential Food Price Monitoring Report published by South Africa’s Competition Commission provided a deep dive into the poultry value chain.

The area planted in sugar beets in MY 2023/24 is forecast marginally higher as some farmers will likely switch to growing beets in hopes of better returns. Despite this increase in acreage, beet sugar production is projected to remain flat year-to-year at 3 million metric tons because of drought conditions.

In August 2021, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) State Administration of Market Regulation (SAMR) released an updated National Food Safety Standard Restricting Excessive Packaging for Foods and Cosmetics (GB 23350-2021).

On April 14, 2023, China notified to the World Trade Organization (WTO) under G/SPS/N/CHN/1278 two updated phytosanitary certificate templates. These are the Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Phytosanitary Certificate and the Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Phytosanitary Certificate for Re-Export.

MY 2022/23 cane sugar production is estimated at 7.92 MMT, revised down 1.08 MMT from the USDA official estimate due to lower-than-normal rainfall in Guangxi, China’s largest sugar producing province. Sugar consumption has begun to rebound since after the removal of COVID-related restrictions. As China’s sugar imports are curbed by high world prices, stocks are likely to decline.

The European Union (EU) follows a complex, rolling system of review for active ingredients and Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) in food. For agricultural inputs, U.S. farmers must know early in the process of review to prevent or mitigate the loss of, and/or access to, chemical inputs.