As part of its active strategy for unlocking more markets for its exports, Saudi Arabia is eyeing the Taiwanese market for its dates and dairy trades. The Kingdom is scouting for the most prominent importers in the field while considering the particular mechanism and conditions outlined by China.
Each of the offices of the Saudi General Authority for Foreign Trade in China and the Saudi Commercial Office in Taipei received a copy of the mechanism and requirements for exporting dates and dairy products to Taipei, according to information obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat.
This will aid the Kingdom in filling in its private sector’s dates and dairy industries on major Taiwanese importers in their target market.
The export of dairy products will be carried out with approval from the Food and Drug Administration, which operates under the Chinese Ministry of Health and Welfare.
In importing dairy products that are not included among the specified taxed goods, authorities will apply Article 35 of Taiwan’s food safety and health legislation.
According to the legislation, imports will be subjected to a systematic inspection process based on procedures and the attachment of health certificate documents for products from the exporting country.
As for dates, exports to Taiwan are required to present records signed by relevant and expert authorities. Upon arrival, dates will need to undergo a laboratory examination that tests for pesticides and microorganisms.
The move to boost dairy and dates exports aligns with Saudi Arabia’s national transformation plan, Vision 2030, which chiefly aims to diversify the Kingdom’s economy.
Vision 2030 focuses on capitalizing on natural resources available to the Kingdom other than oil. This includes Saudi Arabia’s prosperous agricultural and farming industries.
The plan seeks to make the Kingdom’s dates production and distribution industries one of the most critical sectors in a new era of national investments that takes Saudi exports worldwide.
According to a report prepared by the National Center for Palms and Dates (NCPD) and the General Authority for Statistics, dates exports in the Kingdom reached 107 countries in 2020.
Compared to previous years, the 2020 results confirm remarkable growth in marketing the Kingdom’s dates and expanding their reach worldwide.
