BANGKOK — Guanlei Port, the first designated fruit import inspection site along the water transport route in Yunnan Province, has opened a new waterway channel for importing fruits from South and Southeast Asian countries into China.
On August 14, the Commercial Attaché at the Office of Commercial Affairs in Kunming reported that on August 5, Guanlei Port officially inaugurated its designated fruit import inspection site.
This route is a shipping lane from Chiang Saen Port to Guanlei Port, which will serve as a new trade route directly connecting Chiang Rai to Kunming. It adds a channel for exporting fruits to China, helping to distribute produce during peak harvest seasons, benefiting Thai agricultural products.
This additional export channel results from discussions led by Phumtham Wechayachai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce, with Mr. Wang Yubo, Deputy Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party in Yunnan Province, Governor of Yunnan Province, and Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party of Yunnan Provincial Government, along with local government agencies in April. They discussed expanding trade cooperation with China, addressing fruit and agricultural export issues from Thailand, and negotiating to open this new trade route.
On May 24, 2024, Guanlei Port received approval for its designated fruit import inspection site from China’s National Customs Administration, passing the inspection on July 29.
Mr. Ma Jun, Deputy Director-General of Yunnan’s Department of Commerce and Director of Yunnan’s Port Management Office, presided over the official opening of the designated fruit import inspection site at Guanlei Port. The first batch of imported fruit has already cleared customs inspection and procedures.
The inaugural shipment was Thai durian imported by Xishuangbanna Jinggu Agricultural Development Co., Ltd., consisting of one container weighing 16.8 tons. This marks the first international fruit import through Guanlei Port, transported from Chiang Saen Port and arriving at Guanlei Port on August 5, 2024, at 12:30 PM (China time), with a transit time of one and a half days.
China Daily reports that in recent days, several companies have applied for fruit quarantine inspections, including durian, mangosteen, watermelon, and bananas, totaling about 20,000 tons. It’s projected that fruit imports through Guanlei Port will reach 150,000 tons in 2025 and increase to 300,000 tons by 2030.
Yunnan Province borders three ASEAN countries: Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar, and is closest to Thailand. It serves as a distribution center for Thai goods to various northern and eastern Chinese provinces, acting as a gateway and logistics hub with transport links to Thailand via land, water, and air.
“Previously, most Thai fruit imports into Yunnan Province came through Mohan Border Crossing. The opening of operations at Guanlei Port will greatly expand channels and add a new transport route for Thai fruit imports into China,” said the Commercial Attaché.
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