Impacts Of Sanitary And Phytosanitary Measures On Export Of China’s Bee Products

As Chinese traditional export agro-product, bee products have the advantages in the output and pricecompared to other producers. However, there is a wedge between China’s bee products quality and therequirements of international market. In recent years, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures aremore frequently used, and the requirements are increasing stringent. China’s bee product export isfacing an even more severe export situation, and the international market share and tradecompetitiveness are declining affected by SPS measures.Although China experienced rapid growth in honey production after the accession to the WTO, theexport has decreased significantly. Why did China’s bee products export suffer deadlock repeatedly?What’s the impact and how did the SPS measures influence China’s bee products export? And how doesChina improve the technical support to address SPS measures? The study tries to explore theseproblems.Based on the inventory-based approach, theoretical analysis and field work, the study combines thequalitative research with the quantitative analysis. The study uses economic theories to analyze thedifferent motivations of SPS measures and their impacts. Through the literature research, theimplementation of international rules is discussed. The study discusses apiculture’s current situation andcharacteristics based on an investigation on the main producing areas, and the major SPS measuresimpacted bee product export are verified. According to the data of apicultural production and trade, thestudy analyzes the changes of China’s comparative advantage and trade competitiveness. And the studyalso applies a gravity model to estimate the diverse impacts of different SPS measures. Based on theseanalyses, the study proposes the countermeasures to address SPS challenges effectively. The followingare the findings of the study:1. As one of important tools to pursue public policy objectives, SPS measures will not follow a path ofdiminishing relevance like tariffs have done. Since SPS measures can be used to pursue multiple policyobjectives, they will not shrink in importance.2. Since the importing countries have more and more requirements on the quality and safety ofimporting goods, the SPS measures represented by quality and safety standards is posing a grandchallenge for China’s bee products export. The international market share and trade competitiveness aredeclining constantly. SPS measures, which are more than tariff, exchange rate ect., have become thebiggest obstacle and most important factor to China’s bee products export.3. Different SPS measures have different impacts on bee products export. The change of maximumresidue limits of common antibiotics such as chloramphenicol is the most important factor for beeproducts export at the present. 4. The following cases, such as disharmonization of safety standards between China and importingcountries, differences of pesticides or veterinary drugs management and the different residue limits forthe same drug, raise the risk of uncertainty and monitoring difficulty. Drug residue managementbecomes the focus and difficulties for apiculture management.5. The fundamental way out for China’s bee products export addressing SPS challenges lies inimproving products quality and safety. While strengthening SPS information system for collection,communication, analysis and application, the focus and breakthrough is to set up the quality and safetyprocess control system from the production start to market with science and technology as the core, andimprove the production technologies and product quality.