Citruses are packed in boxes for shipment. [Photo/WeChat account: tzfb001]

A shipment of citrus from Zhejiang province passed inspection and quarantine at Taizhou Customs on Sept 14 before being shipped to Canada, marking the start of the province's new citrus export season. The shipment, totaling 25.82 metric tons at about $36,000, is expected to arrive in Canada in 15 days.

Because citrus is fresh and perishable, Taizhou Customs has opened a green channel for inspecting fresh and perishable agricultural and food products to help companies during the peak export season.

Li Botao, a section chief at the Linhai office of Taizhou Customs, said the customs authority has also introduced batch inspection and quarantine reforms this year. The first products declared in a batch undergo on‑site inspection and quarantine, while other products in the same batch can be released after verification. This reform has cut inspection time from 30 minutes to immediate release.

Linhai, a county-level city in Taizhou, is a major citrus‑producing area in China, with local fruits known for their uniform shape and crisp flesh. Meng Huanhong, deputy chair of Zhejiang Yongfeng Fruit Cooperatives, said their Canadian customer has repurchased the fruit for several years.