According to the Silk Road New Observation Report, Uzbekistan media reported that Uzbekistan has been approved to export lemons to China.
A few days ago, the Uzbekistan Quarantine and Plant Protection Bureau and the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China signed the "Protocol on Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for Uzbekistan's Export of Lemon Plants to China." The document stipulates that Uzbekistan lemons will be exported to China in accordance with the provisions of the World Trade Organization, the International Plant Protection Convention and China's food safety legislation. Export products must not contain quarantine objects deemed dangerous by China, such as various pests.
Uzbekistan is the largest producer of fruits and vegetables in Central Asia, exporting to about 60 countries and regions. However, the export volume is limited, and the main export destination is Russia.
Uzbekistan has stated that China is one of the important and priority directions for the country's exports of fruits, vegetables and agricultural products. Since 2017, Uzbekistan has begun to develop agricultural exports to China. As of March 2021, about 500 companies in Uzbekistan are engaged in exports to China. Currently Uzbekistan exports cherries, melons and pomegranates to China, as well as 11 other types of vegetables and agricultural products. In addition to the lemons approved for export this time, fruits such as grapes, plums, peaches and persimmons are also under negotiation.
The total export volume of Uzbekistan's fruits and vegetables in 2020 is 1.48 million tons, valued at approximately US$1.01 billion. Among them, Uzbekistan exported about 7,100 tons of lemons with a total value of 8.6 million US dollars. Statistics from the National Statistics Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan show that these lemons are exported to Russia (3,400 tons), Kazakhstan (2,100 tons), Kyrgyzstan (1,500 tons), Afghanistan (87.7 tons) and Ukraine (20.6 tons).