A China-Europe freight train laden with 1,300 tons of flour from Kazakhstan arrives in Xi'an, Northwest China's Shaanxi Province on January 13, 2023. Photo: VCG

China's trade with Kazakhstan will take a new step forward after wild aquatic products from the Central Asian country that meets standards can be shipped to China, its largest export market, amid expectations for stronger bilateral ties as stated in a joint declaration in mid-May.

The trade expansion will achieve win-win results, allowing Kazakhstan to tap into the vast Chinese market and giving Chinese consumers more choice, industry insiders said.

Wild aquatic products from Kazakhstan that meets the requirements will be imported to China, effective immediately, according to a notice issued by the General Administration of Customs of China on Tuesday.

Wild aquatic product refers to aquatic resources and canned products exported from Kazakhstan to China that live in natural waters, the notice said.

The two countries recently pledged to strengthen cooperation in agricultural trade. According to a joint statement issued during the visit of the President of Kazakhstan to China in mid-May, the two sides are willing to deepen agricultural cooperation and promote agricultural investment and trade.

Industry experts are excited about the development, which they said reflects the high trade complementarity of the two countries.

JCtrans, a Xinjiang-based global logistics company, is in aquatic-related trade with Kazakhstan for many years.

"Chinese consumers love fish from the country because of high quality and natural farming," Tian Zhiyun, general manager of JCtrans, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

With the opening of the new trade category, the company is optimistic about future market growth. Artemia, also known as brine shrimp, has the most potential.

"Artemia is a genus of aquatic crustaceans often found in wild inland saltwater lakes which Kazakhstan has many, and it is the ideal feed for shrimps," Tian said.

China also produces Artemia, but it can only supply about 60 percent of domestic consumption, the Global Times learned from the China Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Alliance.

China is one of the world's largest producers and exporters of shrimps. The imported products from Kazakhstan will offer new options and more diversified sources, experts said.

Another domestic trader surnamed Liu expressed interest in the import expansion, saying that the aquatic trade will yield win-win results for both countries.

"The freshwater fish in Kazakhstan are somewhat similar to those found in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, but due to the large domestic demand and limited supply, import from Kazakhstan will be an effective supplement," Fan Xubing, an aquatic industry insider and analyst, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

While the Central Asian country heavily relies on imports for marine fish, its domestic freshwater fish can meet 100 percent of local market demand, given its rich natural water resources, data from the Kazakhstan-China Trade Promotion Association showed.

China-Kazakhstan trade has been expanding. According to customs data, in 2022, bilateral trade reached $31.17 billion, up 23.6 percent year-on-year, hitting a record high.

Energy and minerals from Kazakhstan and machinery products from China are the two main components of bilateral trade, while aquatic trade is an emerging field with growing potential, experts said.