China lifts ban on some German beef imports as Germany’s Scholz visits Beijing

BEIJING, April 16 (Reuters) – China has lifted mad cow disease-related bans on some German beef imports, Chinese customs authorities said on Tuesday, after German Chancellor Olaf Scholz pressed Chinese counterparts for better market access in a visit to Beijing.

The easing applies to de-boned beef from calves under 30 months imported from Germany, China’s General Administration of Customs said in a Wechat post.

The change takes effect from April 16, the date of the announcement.

China also agreed to open its borders to beef and apple imports from Germany and facilitate pork imports, Scholz said on Tuesday.

Scholz was speaking on the final day of his three-day trip to China, during which he met with President Xi Jinping and pressed Chinese counterparts for better market access, saying Germany did not want to “decouple” from China.