China has removed a key trade barrier against certain foods made with legume crops, Canada's agriculture minister said on Friday. China has removed its maximum limit for selenium, a naturally occurring mineral, in imported food, which acted as a barrier to Canadian sales of pea flour and certain snack foods, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said in a release.
In 2010, China was Canada's third-largest market for legumes, also called pulse crops, with C$172 million ($175.5 million) in exports. China's move followed a Canadian delegation's visit to China last April, when China lifted import restrictions on Canadian peas after joint research showed there is no health risk with selenium.
The two agreements could increase the value of Canadian legume exports to China to C$500 million, said Gordon Bacon, chief executive of industry group Pulse Canada. Chinese importers have held back on buying Canadian legume crops because of the selenium restriction, Bacon said. Peas are the legume China buys most from Canada.