Chinese mainland to resume grapefruit import from Taiwan island

The General Administration of Customs (GAC) will approve the import of grapefruit and other agricultural and fishery products from the island of Taiwan that meet the quarantine requirements of the Chinese mainland, an official of GAC said on Sunday, when meeting the visiting Kuomintang delegation led by Fu Kun-chi.

Analysts pointed out that the resumption of imports reflected the goodwill of the mainland toward Taiwan-based farmers and the move helps promote cross-Straits exchanges.

The mainland, in order to help create jobs and boost economic growth in the Taiwan region, has put forward a series of favorable policies in expanding imports from Taiwan since the start of reform and opening-up.

Also on Sunday, the Chinese mainland resumed tourism for residents of East China’s Fujian Province to visit Taiwan island’s Matsu, following the resumption of direct passenger sea routes between Fujian’s Pingtan and the Taiwan island.

Mainland customs authorities suspended the entry of citrus fruits, including grapefruits, lemons and oranges, and two types of fish products from the Taiwan region on August 2022, the GAC said in an online statement.

GAC has repeatedly detected pests in citrus fruits imported from Taiwan, as well as fenthion and dimethoate residues exceeding prescribed standards. Shipments of white hairtail and frozen horse mackerel had also tested positive for traces of COVID-19 .

From March 2023, the mainland resumed the import of chilled white hairtail and frozen horse mackerel from Taiwan island amid efforts to promote the healthy development of cross-Straits trade, Ma Xiaoguang, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said on March 15, 2023.

Later from June 2023, the mainland resumed the import of sugar apples from Taiwan, after suspending the trade due to the detection of plant pests on the tropical fruit since September, 2021.

Zhu Fenglian, also a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said in June 2023 that “we uphold the concept of ‘both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family.”

“We are willing to work together with relevant parties in Taiwan to continue to provide assistance for the resumption of Taiwan’s agricultural and fishery products exports to the mainland,” Zhu said.