The approval of a phytosanitary protocol for U.S. barley being exported to China will allow the grain to flow into the country, thanks to the U.S.-China Phase One deal inked in January 2020. 

The new protocol is needed for Chinese imports of malting barley and feed barley. In anticipation of the ability of U.S. producers to export barley – and with renewed interest in U.S. barley by the Chinese brewing industry – U.S. Grains Council (USGC) staff in China have worked with local importers to expand their supplier contacts, aiming to cultivate another export destination for U.S. barley farmers.

The Council has been active in barley promotion in China dating back to the early 1990s, and because China is the world’s largest beer producer, Council staff have been in conversations with the Chinese and U.S. governments about a barley protocol – the primary roadblock to market entry for the grain – for several years.