ISLAMABAD: Following recent successes in the removal of restrictions from the import of rose petals and easing of inspection regime for mangoes from Pakistan, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries has lifted the ban from the import of animal casings from Pakistan with effect from May 21.
The authorisation has been issued by Japan’s Chief Veterinary Officer Kiyoyasu Ishi Kawa, said a press statement issued on Friday.
Pakistan had been exporting animal casings to Japan since 1985 but the Animal Health Division at the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries (MAFF) restricted the import in 2017 due to enhanced Animal Health Requirements (AHRs) related to disinfecting measures.
The United Casing Corporation, the Lahore-based leading exporter of animal casings to Japan, has immediately improved its processing unit according to the new Japanese standards.
According to Tahir Habib Cheema, Trade & Investment Officer at the Embassy of Pakistan in Tokyo, the Japanese Animal Health Division was re-engaged in January this year to resolve the matter by involving stakeholders from both sides. Satisfying all queries of Japanese authorities, the negotiations were successfully concluded in March 2020 followed by a thorough exercise on drafting certificate templates, he added.
Efficiently achieving another milestone, Cheema shared that MAFF has finally allowed import of animal casing from Pakistan while designating United Casing’s unit in Lahore as one of the designated salted casing facilities according to the AHRs.
Trade between Pakistan and Japan has always been stagnant both in volume and variety; however, the Trade & Investment Section at the Embassy of Pakistan in Tokyo has been making significant efforts not only to develop new markets in Japan for Pakistani products but also in reviving export of conventional products that faced restrictions due to various standardization requirements.
