China resumes Taiwanese pomelo imports ahead of Mid-Autumn Festival

Taipei, Sept. 2 (CNA) The Ministry of Agriculture announced on Monday that China has lifted its ban on importing Wendan pomelos from Taiwan two weeks before the Mid-Autumn Festival.

The ministry's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Agency told CNA that it received an email on Monday morning, informing the department of China's decision to resume Wendan pomelo imports through the Cross-Strait Agreement on Cooperation in Inspection and Quarantine of Agricultural Products platform.

The announcement came more than two years after the Chinese ban imposed on Aug. 3, 2022, and two weeks before the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday, when the fruit is traditionally eaten, on Sept. 17.

Given the short notice, Taiwanese pomelo producers have yet to submit applications to sell the fruit to China, the ministry's Agriculture and Food Agency (AFA) said.

As of the end of August, exports of Taiwanese Wendan pomelo in 2024 reached 1,464 metric tons, the AFA said, adding the main markets were Singapore, Hong Kong and Canada.

Of the three main pomelo-producing areas, the harvests in Madou in Tainan and Ruisui in Hualien County have finished. Meanwhile, 90 percent of the harvest is complete in Douliou in Yunlin County, the AFA said.

The AFA added that harvests in northern regions are 70-90 percent finished.

Taiwan's total pomelo output this year is estimated to be 62,000 metric tons, down 20 percent from 2023, the AFA said.

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On Aug. 3, 2022, China announced the suspension of imports of citrus fruits, chilled white hairtail and frozen horse mackerel from Taiwan.

On April 28, Zhao Zenglian (趙增連), vice minister of China's General Administration of Customs, said China would lift its ban on importing Wendan pomelo and several other agricultural and fishery products from Taiwan following "scientific assessments."

Chen Binhua (陳斌華), spokesman for China's Taiwan Affairs Office, said in a statement issued Monday that all products being sent to China from Taiwan must come from registered orchards and packaging plants.

The decision to resume imports came after Taiwan's opposition Kuomintang and Hualien repeatedly expressed their desire to resume the exports of Wendan pomelo to China and took measures aimed at rectification of the situation, Chen said.

It also followed Hualien's recent submission of relevant documents per China's quarantine regulations, according to Chen.