China Seafood Show Qingdao China
“One of the most crucial success factors for breaking into a new market in a new country will be the relationships you establish there,” says Benjamin England, Founder and CEO of American consulting firm, FDAImports.com and Chinese counterpart, ExportToUsa.com.cn. Mr. England’s firm has been establishing connections and partnerships with Chinese companies, manufacturers and trade organizations and hopes that the Qingdao Seafood Expo will further cement those relationships and build bridges with new partners. The Expo, in Qingdao this year, is now in its 16th year and features over 750 exhibitors from 35 nations.
“We’re hearing about food safety in the news all the time,” said Mr. England. “But what we don’t hear about is how companies are avoiding food safety issues and focusing on preventative controls using FDA regulatory compliance.” Mr. England’s firm, through initiatives such as label reviews, website claims analysis and customs and FDA consulting work, helps companies avoid costly food safety crises before they happen. “What we’re seeing in China is a substantial need for help like never before. Chinese companies often don’t know where to begin when it comes to FDA regulation and U.S. requirements. Foreign manufacturers need a partner, a resource they can lean on who’s on the inside, who understand what’s happening. That’s what we’re hoping to do in China, build bridges.”
The value of food imports from China in 2008 was $5.2 Billion, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture study. This number is expected to increase as China’s food exports, manufacturing and production surge ahead. Yet as the value and variation of products increases, so does the burden of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to oversee imports and the ensuing food safety challenges that follow.
Benjamin England and the FDAImports.com team will be traveling to Qingdao for the November 1-3 show. Mr. England’s firm is also part of the Maryland-China Business Council, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping Mid-Atlantic companies establish partnerships and opportunities with Chinese companies and trade.
Source:
1. Gale, Fred, and Jean C. Buzby, Imports From China and Food Safety Issues, Economic Information Bulletin No. 52, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, July 2009.
