According to the latest data released by the US Department of Agriculture at the end of April, China signed a contract to import 115,000 tons of genetically modified corn from the United States – the largest import contract for transgenic corn in the last 10 years.

The buyer is New Hope Group, a private Chinese company that proclaims itself to be the largest agricultural product supplier in China, with dozens of animal feedstuff and dairy manufacturers under its banner. The imported transgenic corn will be used to manufacture pig feed according to the president of New Hope, Liu Yonghao.

There is concern over the possibility that the imported transgenic corn will find its way into the domestic food market in China.