KUALA LUMPUR: The Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia has taken up the fight to enable the RM1bil local bird's nest industry to resume exports to China.
ACCCIM president Datuk Lim Kok Cheong said it would act as the middleman between traders and the Government until “the problem is solved”.
“It is our responsibility to help them out,” he said after chairing a meeting with representatives from eight bird's nest associations yesterday.
The local bird's nest industry used to export some 250 tonnes to China before the country imposed a ban in July last year after it found high levels of nitrites in the products.
However, in April this year, the Chinese authorities agreed that the nitrite content of bird's nest should not exceed 30 parts per million (ppm).
Bird's nests exported to China were also required to have radio frequency identification (RFID) tags for the whole supply chain as well as be furnished with certificates from the Veterinary Depart-ment and Health Ministry.
Lim said ACCCIM member David Gan had been appointed coordinator to help the exporters voice their grouses to the Govern-ment.
During the meeting, the associations also passed a three-point resolution to reject the requirement to install RFID tags, allow permissible nitrite content for raw, uncleaned nests up to 200 ppm and for details of a protocol on the entry of cleaned nests into China to be disclosed before its signing on Sept 20.
The resolution, said Lim, would be forwarded to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as well as the Health and Agriculture and Agro-based Industries ministries as soon as possible.
“We also wish to have discussions with both ministries,” he said.
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