Australian grape imports face delay
▶ Chinese firms seek other sources for fruits amid tense ties
Chinese fruit industry insiders and sources confirmed on Sunday that Australian grapes and other fruits are facing inspections and delays at some ports, as China takes strict measures to inspect imported fruits to stem the spread of the COVID- 19 as the global pandemic intensifies again.
It remains unclear when a backlog of Australian grapes waiting to be inspected will be cleared, but Chinese importers are already moving to reduce the proportion of Australian fruits due to low profits and worsened bilateral ties, while increasing imports from other sources such as New Zealand and Thailand.
Reports of such delays came as bilateral relations further plunged after Canberra used an anti- China law to tear up agreements signed between the state of Victoria and China regarding the Belt and Road Initiative. China has vowed to take forceful countermeasures, but has not announced any so far.
Several industry insiders familiar with the matter told the Global Times on Sunday that clearance delays for Australian grapes are mainly due to the ongoing epidemic in Australia and the need to conduct nucleic acid tests on imported fruit to protect public health. This is a normal practice for epidemic prevention, they said.
“There are indeed many containers of Australian grapes waiting for inspection at ports … authorities are working extra hours to clear the backlog,” a source familiar with the matter told the Global Times on Sunday, adding that it remains unclear when the backlog can be cleared. Other fruit shipments from Australia are also under inspection, the source said.
A manager at Shenzhen Huitong, a logistics company based in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, said that Australian grapes are being stockpiled for nucleic acid tests.
“The process can take as long as seven days,” said the manager. But the inspection process also applies to many other goods from epidemic- hit countries, the manager added.
China was the largest market for Australian grapes, taking about 41.3 percent of the total, data from the Australian Table Grape Association showed.
However, some fruit importers told the Global Times that they have already reduced imports of Australian fruits, including grapes, since the beginning of this year for multiple reasons “beyond their control.”
A manager surnamed Li with Yeguo trade company in Guangzhou told the Global Times on Sunday that the market is “unfavorable” for Australian grapes, whose prices are too low to be profitable, and there is also an oversupply.
“Previously, the price was around 20- 22 yuan ($ 3.08$ 3.39) per kilogram for grapes imported from Australia and now it's nearly 11.1 yuan,” she said.