SECRETARY KAWAMURA PROMOTES CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE AS PART OF GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER’S CHINA TRADE MISSION

SACRAMENTO- California Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura will be traveling to China as part of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s China trade mission, November 14-19, 2005. During the trade mission Secretary Kawamura will promote the state’s agricultural products and address agricultural trade issues relating to market access and intellectual property rights.

“China possesses significant market potential and opportunity for California grown products,” said Secretary Kawamura, “However, trade barriers restrict the Chinese consumer from enjoying the full diversity of California products.”

While in China, Secretary Kawamura will be meeting with Chinese agricultural officials and private companies and touring retail and wholesale operations. Secretary Kawamura will also join agricultural representatives from the citrus, fiber, fresh fruit, nut and wine industries in promoting California agriculture in China. The promotion of California agriculture is vital to increasing exports and expanding market access for California products within China. 

During the trade mission, Secretary Kawamura will be available for on-site press briefings in China and is scheduled to participate in morning drive-time radio interviews with California Grown CEO Scott Horsfall.

Secretary Kawamura’s tentative meeting schedule:

Note:  China is 16 hours ahead of PST.

Monday, November 14 (Beijing):   Focus on trade relations and goodwill. Meetings will  be held with U.S. and Chinese government officials to discuss issues of market access and trade barrier issues.
     
     · Office of Agricultural Affairs, U.S. Embassy
     
     · Ministry of Agriculture

     · Department for Supervision on Animal and Plant Quarantine (AQSIQ)

Tuesday, November 15 (Beijing):  Focus on challenges and opportunities. Visit to wholesale market to evaluate market competition and participation in China-California business roundtable.
     
     · Wholesale tour and retail market promotion

     · Business roundtable

Wednesday, November 16 (Beijing): Focus on buying California goods. Dialogue with industry representatives and California sales event.

     · Agricultural Boards and Commissions, roundtable with foreign  representatives
  
     · California agricultural promotions

Thursday, November 17 (Shanghai): Focus on intellectual property rights. Meetings with California companies exhibiting at international trade show. 
 
     · Visit to international trade show

     · California agricultural promotions

Friday, November 18 (Hong Kong): Focus on buying California goods. Trade dialogue with Hong Kong buyers.

     · Taste of California buyers event

Saturday, November 19 (Hong Kong): Focus on buying California goods. Secretary Kawamura will participate in California Grown promotional events.

     · “California Festival” promotion featuring California agricultural

California exports $456 million in agricultural commodities annually to China/Hong Kong, making it California’s fifth-largest agriculture export market behind the European Union ($1.698 billion), Canada ($1.467 billion), Japan ($905 million) and Mexico ($527 million).  California’s top five agricultural exports to China/Hong Kong in 2004 were cotton ($192 million), oranges ($60 million), table grapes ($52 million), almonds ($43 million) and beef and products ($23 million).

CDFA’s Agricultural Export Program is funding the expenses of the CDFA delegation on the trip to China. 

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Media Contact: Nancy Lungren, Deputy Secretary of Public Affairs
(916) 654-0433  nlungren@cdfa.ca.gov
 
Steve Lyle or Jay Van Rein, Office of Public Affairs (916) 654-0462   slyle@cdfa.ca.gov