China agrees to have customs officials work 24 hours to facilitate Thai durian imports
China agrees to 24/7 customs checks to boost Thai durian imports during peak harvest, says Minister Narumon.
Agriculture Minister Narumon Pinyosinwat on Thursday thanked the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) for agreeing to operate its customs checkpoints 24 hours a day to facilitate imports of durians from Thailand.
“I would like to thank the GACC and its officials for attaching importance to durian imports from Thailand and for assigning officials to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” Narumon said.
She added that she had contacted the GACC, which agreed to extend operating hours at border checkpoints through which Thai durian exporters ship their produce.
Moreover, she said that Chinese authorities had also increased the number of laboratories on their side of the border to test Thai durians for contamination with Basic Yellow 2 (BY2) dye. Previously, China had found some shipments of Thai durians contaminated with the dye and rejected them.
As Thailand enters its peak durian harvest season, the Agriculture Ministry will work closely with its Chinese counterpart and the GACC to ensure smooth shipments of durians from Thailand to China, Narumon said.
The minister added that there are currently nine laboratories in Thailand screening durians for BY2 contamination, to prevent further rejections from China.
She also noted that Thailand is in the process of seeking China’s recognition for an additional laboratory — Central Laboratory (Thailand) Co Ltd in Chachoengsao.
