Fresh Vietnamese durians imported to China

NANNING, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- A batch of 18.24 tonnes of fresh Vietnamese durians arrived in Youyiguan Port, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on Monday, making Vietnam the second ASEAN country following Thailand to gain market access to China for the sale of fresh durians.

"The green channel and other supportive measures to facilitate the clearance of fresh agricultural products have helped better preserve the freshness and taste of these durians," said Qin Jun, vice president of YH Global, a logistics company.

According to Qin, with the advantages of a long harvest season, high annual yield, shorter transportation distances and low production costs, Chinese consumers are expected to savor more high-quality fresh durians from Vietnam.

So far, a total of 66 varieties of fruits from nine ASEAN countries, including Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and Cambodia, have gained market access to China, with Guangxi as the main import channel.

Data from Nanning Customs shows that from January to August this year, the import of ASEAN fruits in Guangxi reached 380,000 tonnes, with a total market value of 5.83 billion yuan (about 840 million U.S. dollars).