Shanghai - Italy, the world’s second largest producer of extra virgin olive oil, maintains its market share with regard to olive oil imports in China, where competition is fierce. Italian extra virgin olive oil must defend itself from the pressure exerted by local sales networks that sell at highly competitive prices as well as international actors such as US and Australian oil. However, Italy still holds a 20% share of the total import market in China for a total of $32 million. This is what emerges from a seminar course featuring a tasting of Italian extra virgin olive oil held at the fair FHC Shanghai. The initiative was reserved for Chinese journalists and buyers who are in the business with the Italian Trade Agency (Agro-industry section) and the Olive Italian Consortium, which aims to promote, throughout the world, the culture of responsible consumption of extra virgin olive oil made in Italy. In 2014, total imports of olive oil totaled $153 million. In 2014, China imported 86% of its virgin olive oil from Spain, Italy and Greece, which are, with 90% of the market, the largest suppliers (followed by Tunisia and Turkey). (9Colonne)