Recently, the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China issued an announcement to allow the import of fresh citrus from Zimbabwe that meet the relevant requirements. The fresh citrus allowed to enter China (hereinafter referred to as "citrus") includes sweet orange, mandarin, grapefruit, lemon, and lime.
Citrus orchards and packaging plants that have the intention to export to China must be registered with the Ministry of Land, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water Resources and Rural Development of the Republic of Zimbabwe (hereinafter referred to as "MLAFWRD") and jointly approved by the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as "GACC") and MLAFWRD. The registration information shall include the name, address, and registration number in order to accurately trace the origin of the exported goods if they do not comply with the relevant provisions of this quarantine requirement. The registration list shall be provided to GACC by MLAFWRD prior to the annual export season, and the GACC will publish the registration list on its official website.
The quarantine pests of concern to China include a total of 15 species such as the apple special-shaped curl moth, Mediterranean fruit fly, and bacteria of African Citrus greening disease.
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Located in the southern hemisphere, Zimbabwe has a season that is the opposite of China's climate, and its citrus production season coincides with the off-season of citrus production in China. Counter-seasonal supply will effectively alleviate the tight demand for citrus in China. In Zimbabwe, there is abundant sunshine and the temperature is pleasant. The unique natural conditions are beneficial for producing sweet and juicy citrus.
The deputy head of the third phase of China's aid to Zimbabwe senior agricultural expert group said that Zimbabwe's annual citrus production is usually less than 200,000 tons, mainly exported to South Africa and European markets. Its previous export volume was only about 30,000 tons. However, Zimbabwean citrus has a unique taste, and the marketing period is different from the domestic citrus in China, which can meet a certain demand in the Chinese market. Compared with the fruits from other countries, Zimbabwean citrus has an advantage in price, and it will get very popular when exported to China.
Source: FruitReviewer/Shanghai Customs