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Zhanjiang Port in Guangdong has suspended imports of frozen food from 11 Asian countries as a Covid-19 surge and prevention and control measures have affected its operations
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The temporary ban covers Vietnam, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, and Mongolia, and is in effect from June 20 to July 15
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Guangdong province since late May has been battling an outbreak of Covid-19 that has led many cities in this province to strengthen epidemic prevention and control measures at their ports
A port in China’s Guangdong Province has temporarily suspended frozen food imports from Vietnam and 10 other Asian countries as a Covid-19 surge and mitigation response measures have affected its operational capacity.
The operator of Zhanjiang Port, Zhanjiang Port Group Co., Ltd, has decided to suspend imports of frozen food, mostly seafood, from Vietnam, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Laos, Nepal, Thailand, Cambodia, and Mongolia from June 20 to July 15, according to reports from Vietnamese media outlets.
The decision was reportedly made after the port operator held a meeting with Chinese companies and associations on June 3.
On learning about this, Vietnam’s Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Management Department (MARD) contacted the representative of the Vietnam trade office in Beijing and found out that this was due to an outbreak of Covid-19 cases in Guangdong province since late May, which has led many cities in this southern province such as Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Foshan and Zhanjiang to strengthen epidemic prevention and control measures at their ports.
At the Yantian port in Shenzhen, container ships have been avoiding calls to the district due to rising cases and mitigation efforts, and the ongoing containment activity has led to growing congestion and vessel delay issues at the major maritime gateway.
Vietnam’s National Agro-Forestry-Fisheries Quality Assurance Department (NAFIQAD) said of the situation in Zhanjiang: “Suspension of imports of frozen products from 11 Asian countries is a decision by the port operator. No such decision has been made by Guangdong Province or the Chinese government.”
Zhanjiang Port is one of the major transshipment centers in China, so this decision greatly affects Vietnamese seafood exporters, it said.
NAFIQAD urged seafood processing and exporting firms to keep in touch with importers there to keep abreast of the situation.
It also called on the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers to notify its members of the port’s frozen food ban.
Vietnam exported US$2.49 billion worth of seafood in the first four months of 2021, up 11.6% year-on-year, according to the General Statistic Office. Exports to China were worth $253 million.
In a related development, China’s General Administration of Customs also suspended imports of frozen seafood from six Indian export companies after allegedly detecting the coronavirus on their packaging. Imports of their cargoes will be suspended for a week, India Today reported June 11.
Photo by Photographer Sergy
