Chinese customs put a freeze on imports from a major Cuban seafood firm Pesquera Industrial Batabanó following issues related to COVID-19 inspections.
Chinese customs banned all imports from the company for a week, starting 28 December, as set out in China Customs’ “Rule 103.” The rule halts shipments from firms whose cargo has been found to show signs of COVID-19 contamination via inspection after arrival in China. A similar ban was put on what Chinese customs described as an “independent cargo container” named Frigorifico No.1 Caribex (Cámara 07 y 08).
The ban comes after China enacted new protocols allowing the import of shrimp from Cuba to China. Chinese customs last week issued a notice to its regional officers on the procedures for handling shipments of shrimp from the island, which is a close ally of China with ambitions to increase its seafood shipments.
The Cuban ambassador to China, Carlos Miguel Pereira, told reporters in Beijing last month that the signing was an “historic” event in economic relations between China and Cuba, and follows years of negotiations. Pereira said there’s “great potential” for Cuban seafood exports into China.
Cuban lobsters have become a regular feature on leading Chinese e-commerce sites like JD.com. A vendor on the site Xun Shi World Fresh Foods, is currently offering three frozen Cuban lobsters – sized between 800 grams and 1 kilogram – for CNY 348 (USD 52.2, EUR 45.2) as part of a promotion for Chinese New Year which falls next month. Pereira’s office has also launched a store on JD.com – “Excellence of #Cuba,” which offers Cuban rum and other products.
