A 60,000 tons shipment of corn from Buenos Aires arrived in China which included some corn of the strain MIR-162, the last strain of GM corn from Argentina that has yet to receive approval from Beijing. Because of “asynchronicity”, importing countries allow low levels of non-approved strains of grains and China has given signs of approving MIR-162 imports later this year or in early 2014. By garnering this approval from China, Argentina (which is the number three exporter of corn to China) gains on Brazil (which is the number two exporter behind the U.S.) which is still waiting for Beijing to approve its GM corn varieties. Further corn shipments from Argentina to China are expected to go smoothly since this first shipment was accepted without concern. Argentina’s 2012-13 corn crop is harvested and the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates it to be a record 26.5 million tons while Argentina’s deputy agriculture secretary expects the crop to be 32.1 million tons with between 22 and 24 tons being exported.
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