North China's Shanxi sees fruit exports to 78 countries and regions

(ECNS) -- North China’s Shanxi Province has exported 73 types of fruit to 78 countries and regions so far, including the United States, Australia, and Russia, Taiyuan Customs said on Tuesday.

According to the latest statistics, the province exported 167,500 metric tons of fresh fruit in 2024, up 9.3 percent year-on-year. For the first time, fresh apricots were sent to Russia and the United Arab Emirates, winter jujubes to Bahrain, and apples to Somalia.

Fruit exports have been on the rise ahead of the Chinese Spring Festival. To improve customs clearance efficiency, Taiyuan Customs has adopted a new inspection model in collaboration with Yunnan customs for fruit exported to Thailand.

This customs seal has reduced the clearance time by 60 percent and boosted fruit exports to Thailand by 468 percent year-on-year.

“With customs support, fruit can now reach the Thai market in just six days via land shipment, compared to 13 days by sea, making it much fresher,” said Fan Guoqiang, head of a fruit and vegetable company in Yongji, a prefecture-level city of Yuncheng, in the southwest of Shanxi Province.

Located at 35 degrees north latitude, Yuncheng City is a leading fruit producer in Shanxi Province. With abundant fertile loess soil, it boasts a total fruit plantation area of 164,700 hectares and an annual output of 6 million metric tons.

In 2015, China’s first shipment of apples was exported to the U.S. from Yuncheng. To date, the brand value of the "Yuncheng Apple" has reached 6.829 billion yuan ($932 million), according to a brand assessment report released by the Center for China Agriculture Brand in August 2024.