Customers rush to buy first imported mangosteens in 16 years

Taipei, Sept. 8 (CNA) Nearly 100 customers formed a long line at a retail outlet in Taipei early Sunday to buy the first mangosteens imported into Taiwan in 16 years, after the government lifted a ban on the tropical fruit from Thailand earlier this year.

Taiwan's government stopped imports of Thai mangosteens in 2003 because of fruit fly problems. After meeting related quarantine requirements, the import ban was lifted in April.

The first batch of mangosteens was sold exclusively at Carrefour's Neihu branch on Sunday morning.

Even before the store opened at 9 a.m., a long line of customers had formed outside.

As a result, Carrefour was forced to issue numbers to those wanting to purchase the fruit, with each customer limited to two boxes of mangosteens, a spokesperson for the outlet told reporters, saying the demand was "somewhat unexpected."

The first customer to buy two boxes of fruit told reporters that he came all the way from Taoyuan to Neihu and had waited in line since 7:30 a.m. to get them as a special gift for his mother.