Somalia will officially begin exporting fish to China next month, after Beijing granted duty-free access to its market for some African products.
The agreement to implement the agreement was signed in Mogadishu by the Somali and Chinese sides, the Somali Minister of Fisheries and the Chinese Ambassador to Mogadishu.
The agreement allows Somali traders to export fish duty-free to the Chinese market, one of the largest in the world.
The Director General of the Ministry of Fisheries and Blue Economy, Abdi Dirshe, described the agreement as an important step towards developing Somalia’s blue economy.
He said that opening up the Chinese market could create job opportunities and attract investment in cold storage facilities, fish processing and supply chains.
However, there are still challenges facing Somalia in taking advantage of this opportunity, including limited fish production, the lack of large-scale fish processing plants, and the need to improve quality standards to meet international market requirements.
Somali businesspeople see this agreement as a new opportunity to boost fish exports and create an international market for the country’s fisheries products.
