China bans Lithuanian beef, dairy, alcohol, claiming compliance issues and label tampering
- China’s General Administration of Customs claims Lithuania has failed to provide technical documentation on beef products
- China has formally downgraded its diplomatic relations with Lithuania after it allowed Taiwan to open a de facto embassy in its capital Vilnius last year
China has banned beef, dairy and alcohol imports from Lithuania, in a dramatic escalation in the trade and geopolitical feud between the two countries.
In a letter sent by China’s customs authority to Lithuania’s State Food and Veterinary Service, seen by the South China Morning Post, Beijing accused the tiny Baltic state of failing to provide technical details under which such goods are permitted to enter the Chinese market.
“Despite repeated urging from the Chinese side, Lithuania only submitted materials for beef exports to China once in August 2019, and has not submitted any materials since then,” the letter read.
“In view of this, China has decided to suspend import declarations for Lithuanian beef and dairy products from February 9,” it continued.
Lithuanian food production enterprises arbitrarily change the production date and expiry date after the product is produced
China’s customs authority said it had received a report from Chinese consumers “that there was a problem of tampering with the production date and expiry date of Lithuanian beer exported to China”.