Laos Bananas Admitted to China’s Allowable Imported Fruits List

On May 17, the General Administration of Customs People’s Republic of China (GACC) announced an update to China’s list of allowable imported fruits. Last updated on January 28, 2018, new protocol now allows for the import of Laos bananas.

In December 2017, Chinese and Laos delegates negotiated terms for Lao banana exports to China at a conference in Louang Namtha Province, Lao. According to the agreement, bananas exported to China from Laos need to meet the following requirements:

• Bananas must be harvested ten to eleven weeks after flowering (ripe bananas will be rejected)
• Banana exports must comply with China’s phytosanitary regulations (crops with dangerous contaminants will not be permitted entry to China)
• Banana exports shall not include the rhizome, leaves, or soil during transportation.
• Delivery must be made to the designated location according to Chinese regulations.

Moreover, exports of Laos bananas must undergo inspection in Laos before shipping to China. Laos will need to pay great attention to the growing environment of bananas. Locations of packaging facilities and the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers must be in strict accordance with relevant administrative specifications. Furthermore, along with management of banana ripeness levels, ensuring crop sanitation will be essential for exporters, too—banana exports with chemical levels exceeding the standard will be rejected.

Admittance procedure announced by General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) on January 25, 2018, has since been completed.

GACC has released a list of 15 registered packaging facilities and plantations. For more information, please refer to the link below:

http://www.cqn.com.cn/cj/att/site2/20180508/IMG4ccc6aa7fc9a47574323051.pdf

Bananas are the major cash crop for provinces in northern Laos. Laos banana exports approached 400 thousand tons with a value of USD 190 million in 2016, according to a report from Lao People’s Democratic Republic Plant Protection Center Department of Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. In 2017, China-Laos bilateral trade reached USD 3.2 billion, achieving year-on-year growth of 28.6%. China also happens to be the biggest investor in Laos with direct investment exceeding USD 6.1 billion.

China’s updated permissible fruit list (May 17, 2018) is as follows:

THAILAND

Tamarind (Tamarindus indica), Sugarapple (Annona squamosa), Papaya (Carica papaya), Carambola (Averrhoa carambola), Guava (Psidium guajava), Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), Rose apple (Syzygium samarangense), Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), Long kong (Lansium parasiticum), Pineapple (Ananas comosus), Sapodilla (Manilkara zapota), Banana (Musa sp.), Passion fruit (Passiflora caerulea), Coconut (Cocos nucifera), Longan (Dimocarpus longan), Durian (Durio zibethinus), Mango (Mangifera indica), Litchi (Litchi chinensis), Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), Citrus [Mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata), Orange (Citrus sinensis), Pomelo (Citrus maxima)]

MALAYSIA

Longan (Dimocarpus Longgana), Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), Litchi (Litchi chinensis), Coconut (Cocos nucifera), Watermelon (Citrullus Lanatus), Pawpaw (Chaenomeles Sinensis), Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum)

INDONESIA

Banana (Musa nana), Longan (Dimocarpus longan), Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), Salacca (Salacca Zalacca)

PHILIPPINES

Pineapple (Ananas comosus), Banana (Musa sp.), Mango (Mangifera indica), Papaya (Carica papaya)

VIETNAM

Mango (Mangifera Indica), longan (Dimocarpus longan), Banana (Musa sp.), Litchi (Litchi chinensis), Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), Pitaya (Hylocereus undulatus)

MYANMAR

Longan (Dimocarpus longan), Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), Litchi (Litchi chinensis), Mango (Mangifera indica), Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), Melon (Cucumis melo), lndian jujube (Zizyphus Mauritiana)

(The final four kinds of fruits can only be imported to China through the port of Daluo, in Ruili, Yunnan)

LAOS

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus)*, Banana (Musa supientum)

NEPAL

Citrus [Orange (Citrus sinensis)*, Mandarin (Citrus reticulata), Lemon (Citrus limon)]

INDIA

Mango (Mangifera indica), Grape (Vitis vinifera)

PAKISTAN

Mango (Mangifera indica), Citrus [Mandarin (Citrus reticulata), Orange(Citrus sinensis)]

SRI LANKA

Banana (Musa supientum)*

TURKEY

Cherry (Prunus avium)

ISRAEL

Citrus [Orange (Citrus sinensis)], Pomelo (Citrus maxima), Mandarin (Citrus reticulata), Lemon (Citrus limon), Grapefruit (Citrus paradise)]

TAJIKISTAN

Cherry (Prunus avium)

KYRGYZSTAN

Cherry (Prunus avium)

Uzbekistan

Cherry (Prunus avium)*

JAPAN

Apple (Malus domestica), Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia)

NORTH KOREA

Sweetberry/honeysuckle (Lonicera caerule L. var. edulis Turcz. ex Herd.), Lingonberry (Vaccinium sp.) (only for processing)

SOUTH KOREA

Grape (Vitis vinifera)

TAIWAN, CHINA

Pineapple (Ananas comosus), Banana (Musa sp.), Coconut (Cocos nucifera), Sugar apple/Sweet sop(Annona squamosa; Annona cherimola × Annonasquamosa; Atemoya), Pawpaw (Chaenomeles sinensis), Papaya (Carica papaya), Fruit of Carambola (Averrhoa carambola), Mango (Mangifera indica), Guava (Psidium guajava), Rose apple (Syzygium samarangense), Betel nut (Areca catechu), Plum (Prunus salicina), Loguat (Eriobotrya japonica), Persimmon (Diospyros kaki), Peach (Prunus persica), Indian jujube (Zizyphus mauritiana), Japanese apricot/Mei (Prunus mume), Pitaya (Hylocereus undulatus, Hylocereus polyrhizus, Hylocereus costaricensis), Melon/Cantaloupe (Cucunmis melo), Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia), Grape (Vitis vinifera., Vitis labrusca and its hybrid species, mainly Kyoho grape Vitis vinifera × Vitis labrusca na Bailey cv. Kyoho), Citrus [Mandarin (Citrus reticulata) and its hybrid species, Pomelo (Citrus maxima), Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), Lemon (Citrus limon), Orange (Citrus sinensis)]

UNITED STATES

Plum (Prunus salicina, Prunus domestica, only from California), Cherry (Prunus avium, only from WA, OR, CA, ID), Grape (Vitis vinifera, only from CA), Apple (Malus domestica), Citrus (Citrus spp., only from CA, FL, AZ, TX), Pear (Pyrus communis, only from CA, WA, OR), Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa, only from CA)

CANADA

Cherry (Prunus avium, only from British Columbia), Blueberry (Vacciniumspp., only from British Columbia)

MEXICO

Avocado (Persea americana Var. Hass), Grape (Vitis vinifera), Blackberry (Rubus ulmifo-lius), Raspberry (Rubus idaeus), Blueberry (Vaccinium spp)

PANAMA

Banana (Musa sp.)

ECUADOR

Banana (Musa sp.), Mango (Mangifera indica)

COLUMBIA

Banana (Musa sp.)

COSTA RICA

Banana (Musa AAA), Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

URUGUAY

Citrus (Citrus sp., except lemons), Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.)

ARGENTINA

Citrus [Orange (Citrus sinensis), Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), Mandarin (Citrus reticulata and its hybrid species)], Apple (Malus domestica), Pear (Pyrus communis), Grape (Vitis vinifera)*, Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.)*

CHILE

Kiwi fruit (Actinidia chinensis, Actinidia deliciosa), Apple (Malus domestica), Grape (Vitis vinifera), Plum (Prunus salicina, Prunus domoestica), Cherry (Prunus avium), Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.), Avocado (Persea americana), Nectarine (Prunus persica var. nectarine)

PERU

Grape (Vitis vinifera), Mango (Mangifera indica), Citrus [Grapefruit (Citrus × paradisii), Mandarin (Citrus reticulate) and its hybrid species, Orange (Citrus sinensis), Key lime (Citrus aurantifolia) and Tahiti lime (Citrus latifolia)], Avocado (Persea americana), Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.)

[Note: Corresponding English names for Key lime and Tahiti lime are provided in the AQSIQ list. They have been added by Produce Report based on the Latin names]

FRANCE

Apple (Malus domestica), Kiwi fruit (Actinidia chinensis, Actinidia deliciosa)

SPAIN

Citrus [Mandarin (Citrus reticulata), Orange (Citrus sinensis), Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), Lemon (Citrus limon)], Peach (Prunus persica), Plum (Prunus salicina, Prunus domoestica)

ITALY

Kiwi fruit (Actinidia chinensis, Actinidia deliciosa), Citrus [Orange (Citrus sinensis cv. Tarocco, cv. Sanguinello, cv. Moro), Lemon (Citrus limon cv. Femminello comune)]

CYPRUS

Citrus [Orange (Citrus sinensis), Lemon (Citrus limon), Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), Mandora (Citrus sinensis × Citrus reticulata)]

BELGIUM

Pear (Pyrus communis)

GREECE

Kiwi fruit (Actinidia chinensis, Actinidia deliciosa)

HOLLAND

Pear (Pyrus communis)

POLAND

Apple (Malus domestica)

SOUTH AFRICA

Citrus [Mandarin (Citrus reticulata), Orange (Citrus sinensis), Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), Lemon (Citrus limon)], Grape (Vitis vinifera), Apple (Malus domestica)

EGYPT

Citrus (Citrus sp.), Grape (Vitis vinifera)

MOROCCO

Citrus [Orange (Citrus sinensis), Mandarin (Citrus reticulata), Clementine (Citrus clementina), Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi)]

AUSTRALIA

Citrus [Orange(Citrus sinensis), Mandarin (Citrus reticulata), Lemon (Citrus limon), Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), Lime (Citrus aurantifolia, Citrus latifolia, Citrus limonia), Tangelo (Citrus tangelo), Sweet grapefruit (Citrus grandis × Citrus paradisi)], Mango (Mangifera indica), Apple (Malus domestica, only from Tasmania), Grape (Vitis vinifera), Cherry (Prunus avium), Nectarine (Prunus persica var. nectarine), Peach (Prunus persica), Plum (Prunus domestica;Prunus salicina), Apricot (Prunus armeniaca)

NEW ZEALAND

Citrus [Mandarin (Citrus reticulata, Citrus deliciosa, Citrus unshiu), Orange (Citrus sinensis), Lemon (Citrus limon, Citrus meyeri)], Apple (Malus domestica), Cherry (Prunus avium), Grape (Vitis vinifera), Kiwi fruit (Actinidia chinensis, Actinidia deliciosa, Actinidia deliciosa×Actinidia chinensis), Plum (Prunus salicina, Prunus domestica), Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia, Pyrus communis), Japanese apricot/Mei (Prunus mume), Persimmon (Diospyros kaki), Avocado (Persea Americana)*

Notes:

1) * Admittance protocols are not yet complete and, therefore, cannot currently be imported.

2) This update includes the addition of Laos bananas.