The Chinese mainland resumed clearing of two types of fish, chilled large-head hairtail and frozen horse mackerel, from the Taiwan region starting on Wednesday, in a bid to promote cross-Straits trade, Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, told a press conference on Wednesday.
In August 2022, Chinese mainland customs authorities suspended the entry of citrus fruits including grapefruits, lemons and oranges, as well as chilled large-head hairtail and frozen horse mackerel from the island, in accordance with regulations and food safety requirements, after the products tested positive for COVID-19.
The mainland previously removed nucleic acid testing and COVID-19 monitoring requirements for imported cold-chain foods following the optimization and adjustment of its COVID-19 prevention and control measures, according to Ma.
The General Administration of Customs (GAC) made the decision on Wednesday to promote the healthy development of cross-Straits trade, Ma added.
Experts said this serves as another reflection of the central government’s sincerity in making continuous efforts to bring trade back on track for the benefit of Taiwan residents.
When the trade suspension was imposed last year, it aroused big concerns among local industry players, who were worried that it could have an impact on the local economy, which relies heavily on exports. The mainland market is the island’s core export destination.