COFCO rejects U.S. shipment of GM corn
Beijing. November 30. INTERFAX-CHINA - State-owned China National Cereals, Oils and Foodstuffs Corporation (COFCO) rejected a shipment of 54,000 tons of genetically modified (GM) corn from the U.S., state media reported on Nov. 30.
The National Business Daily said the shipment was rejected because it was found to contain MON89034, a pest-resistant GM maize not yet approved by the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA), citing anonymous sources with the Shenzhen Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau.
The shipment arrived in Shenzhen's Shekou port in September but was rejected in October.
The MoA has approved 11 varieties of GM corn for importing.
Zhang Xinyue, a COFCO press officer, confirmed the account with Interfax and added that the exporter would be responsible for returning the shipment to the U.S.
China became a net importer of corn for the first time this year after it increased imports to curb the rising price of corn.
- Li Xin