From luxury handbags to vintage Bordeaux, China’s consumers have long associated French products with fine living. Now, France aims to hook the country’s expanding middle class on another local speciality: foie gras.
China placed tight restrictions on imports of the iconic French goose liver pate amid Europe’s bird flu epidemic, but there are signs that things could change, with Beijing recently vowing to get more produce “from French farms to Chinese tables”.
Paris and Beijing also signed a declaration on agriculture during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to China earlier this month, raising hopes among French exporters that they can break into the country’s vast market.
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With French foie gras also facing import bans in other key markets, some producers view China as a potential answer to the industry’s problems. But exporters may be underestimating the challenges they would face in the Chinese market – especially the intense local competition, insiders cautioned.
Still, the industry’s ambitions were on full display at the China International Import Expo – China’s biggest import fair – in Shanghai last month, where the French foie gras industry association CIFOG made its debut appearance.
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CIFOG was out to make a splash, with a booth nestled beneath a hulking replica of the Eiffel Tower. Chefs from the Michelin-starred restaurant Maison Lameloise Shanghai were brought in to prepare fresh foie gras, which attracted a crowd – including a visiting French trade minister.