关于我区与中东地区清真食品贸易的思考
宁夏大学政法学院教授 李自然
清真食品产业是我区发展特色民族经济的主打品牌。宁夏是我国唯一的省级回族自治地方,被誉为“中国穆斯林省”、“中国回族之乡”。在这里回族等穆斯林民族与其他民族共同孕育出独具特色的清真饮食文化，成为世界伊斯兰文化的一朵奇葩。这些特有的文化资源，已经成为宁夏发展特色民族产业得天独厚的资源，清真食品产业已成为自治区重要的支柱产业之一。目前，全区规模以上清真食品企业120多家，年实现产值200亿元左右，产品远销到阿拉伯及欧美等国。为实现“走出去”战略，历届政府采取了各种策略，特别是近几年，随着我区内陆开放区和清真产业保税区的建设，社会各界对清真食品与中东贸易十分看好。但是我认为将清真食品业作为我区中东贸易的战略突破口还存在巨大的挑战，因此，我们不能犯“急性病”，要制定科学的发展规划，循序渐进地实现这一目标。
清真食品产业作为国际贸易的重点，是一项具有挑战性的工作，因为食品业有其自身局限性，具体表现在以下几个方面。
1.时限性。食品最大的特点是容易变质的商品，因此，通过脱水、保鲜、腌制只是在一定程度上延长了它的变质时间。按照《食品标识管理规定》第九条“食品标识应当清晰地标注食品的生产日期、保质期，并按照有关规定要求标注贮存条件。乙醇含量10%以上（含10%）的饮料酒、食醋、食用盐、固态食糖类，可以免除标注保质期。说明只有这些食品保质期问题不是很严重，而其他食品都是有保质期的，这就给食品工业的产品基本上都规定了严格的时限。
2.运输消费要求快捷性。食品为了保证在保质期内完成运输、消费等过程，必须要保证物流的畅通，并且要尽快送到广大消费者手中。
3.食品业的高风险性。食品贸易不仅涉及交易安全的问题，而更主要的是涉及质量安全问题，这就牵扯一个食品安全的问题。而食品安全又是一个贯穿于食品原料、食品生产、食品包装、食品运输、食品销售等各个环节，并且任何一个环节都可能出现食品安全问题的风险。
4.食品业国家战略性。民以食为天，它涉及民生、产业等关键性问题。因此，无论是食品进口国，还是出口国，都对食品国际贸易有很严格的限制，例如，作为商品，我国限制粮食、食用油的直接出口。在美国限制肉类产品的入境。在其他国家也通过严格的食品标准，建立贸易壁垒，限制和有选择进行食品贸易。
5.市场需求的文化性。饮食文化本身包含有民族的一种区别性，表现出来则是他的民族习惯性，任何外来商品如果不能与之本土文化相适应，就会出现文化排拒现象。这样这种商品也就不能被接受。
6.价格的合理性。食品通常是作为人们生活必需品，是为了满足人们生活基本需要的商品。通常人们并不单纯追求所谓的“身份”消费，只是个别群体、个别人、个别场景人们会使用“高端产品”。例如：“神户”牛肉等，其消费范围和需求量都是十分有限的。因此，在各国的食品贸易中，人们还是最求性价比的，往往会更加注重价格的合理性。例如：马来西亚要进口我国的蔬菜，但明确提出不要有机蔬菜。
7.国际贸易的规模性。食品通常是价格比较低廉的生活必需品，它必须要符合大宗贸易的特性，这就要求进出口的产品要达到一定的规模和数量，尤其是国际贸易更加突出要求这种规模效益。所以规模小的国际贸易，也不值得去作。
这是食品作为商品存在以上局限性，我们在与中东地区进行食品贸易的过程中也同样面临以上挑战。
1.由于我们与中东市场距离较远，这样时限性要求的难度加大，同时食品安全的风险也在加大。尽管我们正在建设空港物流体系，就是其建成后，也不敢说就能绝对保证商品的时效性和快捷性。同时产品的成本、规模也还会受到限制。
2.我们与中东国家的贸易壁垒尚不可能打破。作为食品安全问题，清真食品的宗教“纯洁性”只是其中一个方面，这些国家从食品安全的角度考虑，则更多的会选择以欧盟国家标准生产的农产品，例如：2001年10月，阿联酋农业水产部发布《第109号行政决定》，转发《海湾合作委员会国家第460号动物检疫规定》，对进口各类动物及动物源性产品规定了严格的检验检疫程序及通关办法，并规定进口动物及动物源性产品必须符合欧盟标准。2002年6月和9月，迪拜酋长国政府仅以欧盟称检测出中国出口的禽类产品氯霉素残留超标为由，两次颁布禁令，禁止进口原产于中国香港及中国内地的禽肉及其制品。
3.我们的产品的性价比并不具有优势。例如：国际上牛羊肉的品质，我们介于欧美和印度之间，只属于中等，在国际上美国等牛羊肉的价格是平均5美元/公斤，甚至比我们宁夏的价格还低。
4.我们没有规模优势。目前，我区的农产品产量并不是很大，而其他产品生产规模也不是很大。
5.与中东还存在饮食文化的差异。中东阿拉伯地区传统上是属于游牧饮食文化圈，而近年来又出现欧洲化的趋向。我们宁夏则是以处于农耕——游牧文化过渡区的农耕为主的农业性饮食文化。两种饮食文化存在着观念、烹调方式的冲突，例如：酸奶，宁夏喜欢加糖，而中东人喜欢原味；我们注重口味，他们注重安全等等。
鉴于以上实际情况，笔者认为目前我区与中东国家的贸易的突破口选择清真食品，是比较富有挑战性的。当然，我们也不能因为存在风险，就不发展此项具有得天独厚的产业，从而错失发展的良机。但是笔者认为，我区的清真产业国际化发展必须要走循序渐进的发展思路，不能犯“急性病”。应当采取以下措施：
1. 在当前我们主要做好为国家战略的配合工作。向中东阿拉伯国家开放，这是国家的战略，作为宁夏自治区应当配合国家的总体战略。让宁夏向阿拉伯国家开放，更多的是考虑通过宁夏的特殊人文条件，建立与阿拉伯国家的良好关系，巩固传统友谊，其中更多的是展示功能。通过宁夏的开放建立一个中阿文化经济的交流中心和国际贸易的桥梁，并不是考虑宁夏能够直接承担多少国际贸易。我们应当重点发展的是贸易和文化交流工作。我们的工作重点应当是：（1）打造中国穆斯林文化的核心地位。即重点发展与阿拉伯国家的文化交流、建设中国清真食品权威评估中心——中国清真食品国际认证中心，以此来实现文化交流，并推动国内各地清真食品、穆斯林用品的出口工作；（2）建设中国国际清真食品和穆斯林用品的集散地。“保税区”的建设当以吸引国内外的相关产业为目标，不能只想着出口赚钱的问题，只是为搭建一个贸易的平台而已。
2.加快“清真产业保税区”的制度建设。通过严格的清真食品企业标准和优惠政策，吸引国内外的的企业，逐渐建设成国际化和国际公认的清真食品产业的生产、贸易等基地，不断扩大宁夏在中国清真产业中地位的影响。
3.注重国内清真食品市场的发展。目前，我区自身的清真产业的出口能力不强，但是从笔者多年相关研究的直觉来看，我区的清真产业在国内市场还是具有比较优势的。（1）我区在国内穆斯林中具有较高的文化权威和信任度，例如：世博会、亚运会的牛羊肉供应和其他与清真食品供应有关的问题都会找到宁夏来解决；（2）国内市场巨大。全国有近2000万的穆斯林人口，按照清真食品消费广泛性的估算，我国有13亿潜在的消费群体。而相对中东尚不足2亿人口的市场要大得多；（3）文化相近。在中国境内纯游牧文化的民族已经很少，而且中华文化的整合下，人们在饮食文化的同质性不断增强，这样基本不存在强烈的文化排拒现象。即是存在一定的小的饮食文化冲突，也会在众多的人口和巨大市场面前被淡化；（4）没有贸易壁垒。在我国食品生产的标准相对统一，而且国家鼓励各地区的自由贸易，市场统一，因此不会遇到各地之间的贸易壁垒；（5）市场临近，便于销售；（6）国内市场产业规模的要求也不是很强，可大可小。基此，笔者目前我区的清真产业战略以开拓国内市场为重点为好（当然对于发展成熟的企业也还是要鼓励出口的）。在国内市场发展的过程中，我们不断增强企业实力、扩大影响力，并且在占有国内市场份额的绝对优势之后，也就为其国际化发展创造了条件。
综上所述，我们更应当注重清真食品的国内贸易的发展，对于国际贸易只能是作为我区清真产业发展的长远目标和进行标准化的参照而已，不能舍本求末。在实现国内生产的规模化、标准化、集约化之后，在条件许可的情况下再考虑国际化。因此，近期要注意内涵发展，壮大实力，改善技术，调整产业结构，通过清真食品认证和博览会的建设，形成评估的权威性和搭建国内和国际贸易的“第三方服务”的平台，形成中国清真食品认证中心和中国清真食品生产基地、贸易集散地，在多年培育与发展之后——条件成熟后，再重点考虑我区清真食品大规模走出去的战略。
Reflection on Halal Food Trade in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and the Middle East
By Li Ziran
Halal food industry is the leading brand for the development of the national economy in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. Ningxia is the only provincial Hui Autonomous Region, well-known as "China's Muslim province" and "home to China's Hui nationality". In this region, such Muslim nationalities as Hui and other nationalities jointly foster Halal catering culture with unique characteristics, which makes the region a miracle in international Islamic culture. These unique cultural resources have become the advantaged resources for the development of the special national economy in Ningxia, and Halal industry has become one of the important pillar industries in the autonomous region. Currently, there are more than 120 Halal food enterprises in regional level or above, whose products are sold far and wide to Arabian and European countries and America, realizing an annual production value of 20 billion yuan. In order to implement the "going out" strategy, governments of all previous sessions have taken all kinds of measures. Notably in recent years as the inland open zones and Halal industrial bonded zones are constructed in our region, people from all walks of life think highly of Halal food and the Middle East trade. But I think there is a great challenge if we use Halal food industry as the strategic tool to break through the Middle East trade. Therefore, we cannot be overwhelmed by "impetuosity ". We must draw up a scientific development plan and achieve this goal step by step.
Taking Halal food industry as the key point in international trade is a challenging task, for the food industry has its own limitation which is featured by the following characteristics:
1. Time limit. The greatest characteristic of food is that it goes bad easily. Therefore, skills of dehydration, fresh and curing preservations are applied to prolong the time to a certain extent when it begins to go bad. Article 9 in Administrative Provisions on Food Labeling stipulates that "A food label shall distinctly state the date of production and the date of expiration of the food. If the date of expiration of the food is related to its storage requirements, such requirements shall also be stated. While beverage wine, table vinegar, edible salt and solid sugar which contain 10% or more ethanol may be exempt from stating the date of expiration." From this stipulation, we can see that apart from the foods mentioned above, most foods have the date of expiration, which specifies strict time limit for almost every product of the food industry.
2. Quickness in transportation and consumption. To guarantee that food is transported and consumed before the date of expiration, we must have smooth logistics and deliver the food to consumers as soon as possible.
3. High risks in the food industry. Food trade involves not only the transaction security, but also quality safety, which derives an issue of food safety. And food safety goes through all the links of food material selection, food production, food packaging, food transportation and food sales, on whichever link the risk of food safety problems may arise.
4. The national strategy of food industry. Food is the first necessity of the people, which involves such critical issues as the people's livelihood and the industry. Therefore, there are rigid restrictions on international food trade in countries whether they are importing or exporting countries. For example, our country prohibits food and edible oil from being directly exported as commodities and in America, the import of meat products is strictly restricted. Other countries set rigid food standards and establish trade barriers to restrict or selectively conduct food trade.
5. The culture of market demand. Catering culture itself includes a national distinction which manifests the customs of this nationality. For any foreign commodity, if it fails to adapt to the local culture, it will meet with cultural rejection. Thus this kind of commodity cannot be accepted.
6. The rationality of the price. Food, as a necessity of people's life, is a commodity that meets people's basic need. Generally, people do not pursue the so-called "identity" consumption of food. Only a certain group of people, certain individuals, or people under a certain circumstance will consume "high-end products". For example, the consumption scope and demand of "Kobe" beef are very limited. Therefore, in food trade in every country, people pursue the cost performance and more often than not they pay more attention to the rationality of the price. For example, Malaysia wants to import vegetables from our country but it definitely rejects organic vegetables.
7. The scale effect of international trade. Food is normally a necessity of life whose price is rather low and it must conform to big business, which requires a certain scale and quantity in import and export. International trade in particular calls for such scale merit. The international trade of a small scale is not worth doing.
That's the limitation of food as a commodity and we are faced by the above challenges in our food trade with the Middle East.
1. We are far from the Middle East market, which makes it more difficult to meet the requirements of time limit and increases the risks of food safety. Although we are building an airport logistics system, even when it is completed, we dare not say that we can ensure the timeliness and quickness of the commodity. Meanwhile the cost and the scale of products will still be restricted.
2. We cannot yet break the trade barriers against the Middle East countries. The religious "purity" of Halal food is only one aspect of food safety. Considering food safety, these Middle East countries will prefer the agricultural products made in accordance with the EU standards. For example, in October 2001, the Ministry of Agricultural Marine Products of UAE issued the No.109 Administrative Decision and approved to distribute the No. 460 Animal Quarantine Regulations of the GCC Countries, which provides rigid inspection and quarantine procedures and methods for importing all kinds of animal products and products of animal origin and stipulated that these products must meet the EU standards. In June and September, 2002, for two times Emirate of Dubai government banned on the import of the poultry and poultry products made by Hong Kong and Mainland China only due to the EU's statement that the poultry products exported from China were detected to contain superscale chloramphenicol residues.
3. Our products have no advantage in cost performance. For example, the quality of our beef and mutton is only of medium level in the world ranking between that of Europe and America and that of India. The average price of beef and mutton in America is $5 per kilo, even lower than that of Ningxia.
4. We have no advantage in scale, either. Currently, there is great exaggeration in the statistics of our region's agricultural products. In fact, the output of beef and mutton is not very big. For example, Helan Mountain Lamb Industry Group can only fulfill one third of an order for 1,000 tons of mutton and its production scale of other products is not very large, either.
5. We have conflicts in catering culture against the Middle East. The Arab region in the Middle East traditionally belongs to the circle of nomadic catering culture, but recently it has a trend of Europeanization while Ningxia's catering culture is mainly the agricultural catering culture in which farming prevails in the transition of agriculture and nomadism. The two kinds of catering cultures conflict in concepts and cooking methods. For example, people of Ningxia prefer to have yogurt with sugar while people of the Middle East prefer the original taste. We pay more attention to the taste while they to safety.
In view of the above-mentioned practical situation, I think that it is challenging if we choose Halal food as the breach of our trade with the Middle East countries. Of course, we cannot give up developing this advantaged industry only because there are risks, thus missing a good opportunity of development. However, I think we must follow a gradual development way in developing our region's Halal industry internationally and we can never be overwhelmed by "impetuosity ". We should take the following measures:
1. Currently we should mainly coordinate with our national strategy. It is our national strategy to open up to the Middle East Arab countries. We Ningxia Autonomous Region should coordinate with our country's overall strategy. To open up Ningxia to the Arab countries, we should attach more importance to Ningxia's special cultural conditions, establish good relationship with the Arab countries and consolidate our friendship, so one of the most important functions of Ningxia is its showcase function. By opening up Ningxia, we aim to build a communication center for the culture and economy of China and Arab countries and a bridge for international trade, not to consider how much international trade Ningxia can directly undertake. So what we should lay emphasis on for development is the trade exchange and cultural exchange. The key points of our work should be (1) to create the core position for China's Muslim culture, that is, to establish China's authoritative Halal food assessment center—China's Halal Food International Authentication Center by focusing on the development of cultural exchange with Arab countries to achieve the cultural exchange and to promote the export of Halal food and Muslim commodities all over the country; (2) to build distributing centers for China's international Halal food and Muslim commodities. In building the "bonded zone", we should aim at attracting related domestic and overseas industries and building it as a platform for trade, not always at making money through export.
2. We should accelerate the institutional building of the "Halal industry bonded zone". We should use strict Halal food enterprise standards and preferential policies to attract domestic and overseas enterprises, to gradually develop international and universally-acknowledged production and trading bases of Halal food industry and to continuously enhance the influence of Ningxia with its core position in China's Halal industry.
3. We should focus on the development of Halal food on domestic market. Currently, the export capability of our region's Halal industry is not strong. However, according to my intuition from years of related research, our region's Halal industry has comparative advantage on domestic market. (1) Our region boasts higher cultural authority and trust level in domestic Muslim. For example, Ningxia was asked to supply beef and mutton for World Expo, the Asian Games and other occasions related to Halal food supply; (2) Domestic market for Halal food is huge. There are 30 million Muslim people in the whole country and estimated by the consumption universality of Halal food, our country has a potential consumer group of 1.3 billion people, which is much larger than the 200 million consumers on the Middle East market; (3) Cultural affinity. There have been very few peoples of pure nomadic culture within the territory of China; what's more, integrated by Chinese culture, the homogeneity of people's catering culture has been constantly enhanced, resulting in hardly any strong cultural rejection. Even if there are minor conflicts in catering culture, these conflicts will be weakened by numerous people and the huge market; (4) No trade barriers. In our country standards for food production are unified. What's more, the nation encourages free trade and unified market in all parts of our country. Therefore, there are no trade barriers between different regions; (5) Markets are near to each other, which is convenient for sales. (6) The domestic markets’ requirement for the industry scale is not very strong and the scale may be large or small. Based on all the above, I think currently the strategy for our region's Halal industry is to focus on developing domestic market (Of course we should encourage those well-developed enterprises to export their products). In developing domestic market, we can constantly enhance our company strengths and expand our influence. And when we obtain the absolutely advantageous share of domestic market, we have created favorable conditions for the international development of our region's Halal food industry.
In conclusion, we should lay stress on developing domestic trade of Halal food and we can only take international trade as a long-term goal for the development of our region's Halal industry and as the reference for standardization. We should not concentrate on trifles and neglect essentials. After we have achieved large scale, standardization and intensification in domestic production and when conditions permit, we can then take internationalization into consideration. Therefore, in the near future, we should lay stress on content development, expanding strengths, improving technology and adjusting the industrial structure. We should establish assessment authority through Halal food authentication and expo construction and develop China's Halal food authentication center, production base and trade distributing center of Halal food by setting up "the third party service" platform for domestic and international trade. Then after years of cultivation and development, when conditions are mature, we can focus on the strategy of letting our region's Halal food go out in large scale.
