Fruit to transit Ping Xiang

China will allow the transport of Thai fruit by rail via Ping Xiang border crossing in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region starting tomorrow, deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said yesterday.

After China decided to shut Donxing checkpoint which lies on the Vietnamese border to prevent the spread of Covid-19 from imported agricultural products, Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chalermchai Sri-on has sought the advice of the Chinese Ambassador to Thailand, Han Zhiqiang, on how to fix the access problem, she said.

The efforts finally paid off with Chinese authorities confirming that Ping Xiang border checkpoint will once again be open to Thai fruit arriving by rail starting tomorrow.

The closure of Donxing checkpoint resulted in massive shipments of durians and longans stranded at the border. Ms Rachada said Chinese authorities will arrange the necessary import documents so these fruit can come in via the checkpoint in Ping Xiang instead.

The spokeswoman asked for the cooperation of all stakeholders, including drivers, to ensure their products aren’t contaminated with Covid-19.

China, she said, won’t hesitate to close the checkpoint to Thai fruit if a shipment is found to be tainted with the novel coronavirus.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, 2 million tonnes of Thai fruits worth 148 billion baht were exported to China during January-October last year.