Reuters – Brazil has asked China to clarify certain aspects of a new national soybean standard that changes quality requirements for the grain, including how they will be implemented and assessed, a Brazilian Agriculture Ministry official said.

China’s proposed new standard for the oilseeds, currently under discussion at the World Trade Organization, is expected to replace one from 2009, said Glauco Bertoldo, who directs Dipov, the Agriculture Ministry’s inspection services department for vegetable products.

China notified the WTO in February and the new proposal comes as Brazil revises its own soy standard, the official said.

“As we discuss the new national standard, we cannot ignore the standards of our largest customer,” Bertoldo said during an online event organized by Embrapa, the national agriculture research agency.

Brazil is the world’s largest producer and exporter of soybeans, and China is the main destination of its protein-rich oilseeds. There, local processors crush the grain to make livestock feed and oil.

The new Chinese standard will set the terms and definitions, classification, quality requirements, test methods, inspection rules, labelling, packaging, storage, and transportation requirements for soybeans.