STORY: Chinese major pickle production base sees export to RCEP partners increasing
SHOOTING TIME: Oct. 31, 2023
DATELINE: Nov. 1, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:48
LOCATION: CHONGQING, China
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Fuling District
2. various of the company
3. SOUNDBITE (Chinese): ZHOU LINXIANG, General manager of a local pickled mustard tubers producing company

STORYLINE:

The history of pickle-making in Fuling District, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality dates back more than 150 years.

The district's traditional method of producing preserved mustard tubers was listed as a state-level intangible cultural heritage in 2008.

As a popular snack on many Chinese people's dinner tables, the pickled mustard tubers have been accepted by more foreigners in recent years.

And thanks to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, the world's biggest free trade pact that took effect in 2022, the pickle's export volume to Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asian countries has increased.

SOUNDBITE (Chinese): ZHOU LINXIANG, General manager of a local pickled mustard tubers producing company
"In 2022, we exported about 3,000 tons of pickled mustard tubers to Japan. Since the RCEP agreement took effect, our annual sales revenue and sales volume in Japan and South Korea have increased by 10 percent. We will also develop the Australian and Indonesian markets. Our company has benefited a lot from the RCEP, and in the future, the tariff of pickled mustard tubers exported to some RCEP member states will decrease to zero gradually."

For Zhou's company, in the first nine months of this year, it exported 50 million yuan (6.83 million U.S. dollars) worth of the pickled mustard tubers to other RCEP member states, a year-on-year growth of five percent. The products valued at 20 million yuan were exported to Japan, up six percent year on year.

After eight years of negotiations, the RCEP agreement was signed in November 2020 by 15 Asia-Pacific countries and is now in effect for all members.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Chongqing, China.
(XHTV)