Team Finland is eyeing China as a huge market for food export expansion.
Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade Lenita Toivakka made a Team Finland export promotion trip to Beijing and Shanghai in January 2015, followed by a Food from Finland country pavilion at the “SIAL CHINA 2015” International Food and Beverage Show in Shanghai. There, pure, delicious and health enhancing Finnish food products were displayed from the five companies FINN CRISP, Hunajainen SAM, Kaskein Marja, Kiantama and Vanajan Keksit.
SIAL CHINA is one of the largest professional food and beverage shows in Asia with more than 50,000 visitors annually. It is a great platform for manufacturers as well as local importers and retailers to make new contacts, identify new opportunities and enhance growth and success together in the fast-developing Chinese market.
At the invitation of Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng of China, Food from Finland, within Team Finland, made the Business Delegation trip to China. It was the first promotion trip of the Team Finland food industry export programme led by a minister. The Food from Finland export programme aims at doubling Finnish food exports by the year 2020. China is one of the programme’s main target countries.
The Finnish delegation included more than 40 business representatives. The purpose of the trip was to promote Finnish food exports and the export and cooperation projects of the Finnish food industry and the ICT sector, as well as to attract foreign investment in Finland. In addition, the visit aims to develop trade relations and to support cooperation between Finnish and Chinese enterprises and organizations.
On the Agenda in China for Food from Finland were:
- High-level meetings with local authorities, MOFCOM and AQSIQ, in Beijing: import licences of pork meat and dairy products proceeding positively
- Food from Finland PR events in Beijing and in Shanghai: over 300 Chinese byers attende
- Meetings with local importers, wholesalers and retailers, introducing Finnish products for the buyersThe cornerstones of high quality Finnish food highlighted as strongpoints against the competition are:
- Pure raw materials from the arctic nature
- High standards of food manufacturing
- Very high food safety level
