Kazakhstan's Ministry of Agriculture and the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China have signed a Protocol on Inspection, Quarantine and Veterinary Sanitary Requirements for the Export of Cowhides to China, the Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture said in a release.

“During the visit of Prime Minister Olzhas Beketenov to Shanghai, the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan and the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China signed a protocol on inspection, quarantine and veterinary sanitary requirements for the export of Kazakhstani cowhides to China,” the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan said in a statement posted on its website.

The protocol will help increase Kazakhstan's export potential and is the result of three years of bilateral negotiations, the source noted. Cowhide is the 11th agricultural product bound by the China-Kazakhstan protocol.

Kazakhstan's Ministry of Agriculture said, “Earlier, agreements were signed on the export of frozen beef, mutton, pork, honey, fish, dairy products, raw wool, purebred and slaughtered horses and slaughtered cattle. In the future, there are plans to expand exports of poultry products, by-products, dried horse milk and other commodities to China.”

The Kazakh government said bilateral trade between China and Kazakhstan amounted to $33 billion in the first three quarters of this year.

Earlier on Monday, the Kazakh government announced that during the Prime Minister's visit to China, Kazakh and Chinese companies signed eight commercial agreements totaling $2.5 billion.