Combined Sea/Air Shipments of Chilean Fruit to China Approved for Transit via Mexico

On Dec. 30, 2024, China’s General Administration of Customs issued an announcement outlining supplementary quarantine requirements for Chilean fresh fruit imported into China by combined sea/air shipments with transshipment through a third country, with transit via Mexico now permitted.

The combined sea/air transport mode represents a cost-effective and time-efficient compromise between air freight and sea freight. Direct air freight from Chile to China is costly, with the majority of expenses arising from the initial leg of transportation, where cherries are shipped from Chile to a transshipment airport in another country. Transit through a third country with greater transport capacity and lower freight costs can significantly reduce overall air freight expenses.

According to the announcement, this transport mode requires transit approval from Mexico. Fruit shipped by sea to Mexico and subsequently transported by air to China must adhere to an unbroken logistics chain. The designated entry seaport in Mexico is the Port of Manzanillo, while the designated departure airport is Guadalajara International Airport. All packages and cargo sealed by Chilean authorities must remain unopened throughout the entire journey.

In 2018, when the sea/air transport policy was first introduced, the United States was designated as the hub for transshipment. Chilean fruit shipments were first transported by fast cargo ships to the United States and then sent on to China by air, with the entire journey taking 14 to 17 days.

Image: Pixabay

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article.