A total of 1,080 boxes of Sunkist navel oranges were directly imported from the United States to Wuhan through Wuhan East Lake Free Trade Zone in East Lake High-tech Development Zone (Optics Valley of China), Hubei province, on Feb 6.

It is the first time that the zone has imported the US fruits directly. 

For a long period of time, imported fruit mainly entered the country from coastal ports such as in Shanghai, and then entered the Hubei market via road. 

Due to the long transportation times and high freight costs, imported fruit is generally expensive for consumers. 

With the opening of the fruit import port in Wuhan, and the use of bonded cold-chain warehouses in Wuhan East Lake Free Trade Zone, it is expected that Wuhan will become a distribution center for imported fruits in central China, lowering the price of imported fruit. 

Ryan R. Scott, director of the agriculture and trade office at the US Consulate General in Shanghai, said that more US fruit, meat and other agricultural products will enter the Wuhan market in the future.

A cold-chain warehouse is used to store imported fruit. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Wuhan East Lake Free Trade Zone in Optics Valley of China [Photo provided to China Daily]