China is getting ready to buy a host of agriculture products from India, including fish oil and fish meal, pomegranates, chikoo , soyameal, bovine meat, tobacco and okra , in a bid to check the growing trade gap between the two countries.

Chinese Vice-Minister Hu Wei, who met senior officials from the Indian Commerce & Industry Ministry and Agriculture Ministry on Tuesday, readied the protocol for fish oil and fish meal that would open doors for India’s exports.

“Wei also assured that steps will be taken soon to start imports of other agriculture products from India including pomegranates and chikoo ,” a government official told BusinessLine.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping this year, made a case for concrete steps to lower India’s trade deficit with China, which touched $63 billion last year, and the Chinese Premier assured him of the country’s support. Since then, China has started imports of non-basmati rice from India and has also signed contracts for import of sugar.

Modi and Xi Jinping are also scheduled to meet in Buenos Aires on Wednesday. Both leaders are in Argentina to attend the G-20 conference.

Chinese officials said that imports of fish oil and fish meal will start soon as the Chinese authorities had already inspected and given clearance to the facilities and the protocol was ready.

New Delhi also urged Beijing to revive the MoU signed by the two countries in 2006 to promote agriculture exports.

Pharma exports

On India’s concern on pharmaceutical exports, Hu Wei said he would convey the same to the Chinese authorities responsible for drugs and pharmaceuticals.

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