As of Sept. 1, the central government there has stepped-up inspections of food exports, raised fees, and instituted new licensing procedures. Chinese food manufacturers have to file for licenses, and exporters have to obtain certificates of approval from several government agencies. The extra inspection fees and administrative delays, which boost storage costs, are beginning to ripple throughout the world.. The result: expensive Chinese dinners.
Chinese-Americans are already feeling the pinch, what with braised black bean dace - a popular fish imported from China - up from 50 cents to $1.39 a can and Chinese shiitake mushrooms up 60 percent over the past few weeks. Soon, price hikes are expected to hit anyone who ventures into a Chinese restaurant, thanks to the soaring prices of ingredients imported from China.
Not everything will rise in price. Many Chinese vegetables and fruits are already grown on Long Island, N.Y., in New Jersey, and in Florida.
But many staples of a typical Chinese dish do come from China. The price of a five-gallon canister of cooking oil has leaped from $14 to $25.50, says Amy Lin, manager of the Peking Garden on Broadway in Harlem.
Besides the price surge, many merchants are experiencing delays in shipments. Imported moon cakes, traditional fare for this month's mid-autumn festival, are running short.
Although China supplies less than 6 percent of America's food imports, its share of the trade had been growing. Last year, the US imported $4.3 billion worth of food (including seafood), up 26 percent from 2005. Through June of this year, imports were on track to rise another 26 percent. But that was before the scandals over tainted dog food, juice, and fish caused US food inspectors to stop shipments and China to crack down.
Other forces are also pushing up the price of Chinese food exports. Increased labor costs in China, a gradual appreciation of its currency, and internal demand for food commodities and processed food have already boosted prices. (Source: Artemisia Ng, The Christian Science Monitor, Sep 10, 2007).