In August 2019, Bolivia in South America shipped 96 tons of beef to China, its first export to China.
The event was celebrated but at the time wildfires were ravaging the Bolivian Amazon. Environmental organizations blamed the government for passing a laws which are beneficial to the agricultural sector but detrimental to natural areas.
Heavy rains in early October put an end to the fires but they had already destroyed nearly 10 million acres of forest, according to official government data.
Before beginning exports to China, the country only exported to Peru and Ecuador.
The beef export agreement signed with China in April 2019 raises great expectations for Bolivia. With a population of 1.4 billion, China is the fastest growing beef market in the world, with imports of more than 1 million tons in 2018.