Bulgaria and China are stepping up efforts to ease and speed up access for Bulgarian agricultural and food products to the Chinese market. A key milestone in this direction was the signing of a new protocol for the export of Bulgarian saffron, outlining the phytosanitary requirements for its entry into China.

During his official visit to the People’s Republic of China, Bulgaria’s Minister of Agriculture and Food, Dr. Georgi Tahov, attended the opening of the 7th China-CEE Dialogue on Cooperation in the Field of Customs Inspection and Quarantine in the city of Ningbo. The event, held under the theme “Smart Customs, Safe Agricultural Food, Sustainable Trade,” focused on the potential of digitalization and international coordination to improve border procedures and ensure the safety of global agricultural trade routes. Minister Tahov emphasized that such cooperation plays a central role in securing and speeding up the cross-border movement of agricultural goods.

On the sidelines of the forum, Dr. Tahov met with Zhao Zhenlien, Deputy Minister and Communist Party Committee Member in China’s General Administration of Customs. The talks focused on advancing the approval process for several categories of Bulgarian exports, including wheat, animal protein feed, rapeseed meal, and products derived from wild fish catches. According to Minister Tahov, the Chinese side responded positively, pledging to give priority to the Bulgarian requests and assigning specific officials to follow up on each export dossier.

Progress in bilateral trade relations was further illustrated by the data shared by Dr. Tahov: of the 39 procedures initiated for Bulgarian food and agricultural exports to China, 11 have already been concluded with finalized protocols and mutually recognized certificates. He reiterated that the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, together with the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency, is working in close coordination with the Chinese General Administration of Customs to complete the remaining procedures.

The visit also saw another important development. Deputy Minister of Agriculture Dr. Lozana Vasileva and Deputy Minister Zhao signed a new bilateral protocol establishing the phytosanitary standards for the export of saffron from Bulgaria. This agreement adds saffron to the growing list of Bulgarian goods with access to the Chinese market.

Later that day, Minister Tahov officially opened the new premises of the Contact Office and the Permanent Pavilion of the Center for the Promotion of Agricultural Cooperation between China and the Countries of Central and Eastern Europe. In his remarks at the ceremony, he described the Center as a key instrument for strengthening trade and institutional cooperation in the agri-food sector between CEE countries and China. The Center’s permanent exhibition now includes samples from producers based in Bulgaria, Slovenia, Hungary, and Romania.

Meanwhile, during the ongoing 4th China-CEE Expo and International Consumer Goods Expo (May 22–25, 2025), held in Ningbo, the Center is participating with its own booth. Twelve companies from Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovenia are showcasing their products as part of the event, further underlining the region’s interest in tapping into China’s massive consumer market.