(Economic Observer) Cold chain trains bring about "changes" in banana imports
China News Agency, Chongqing, December 5th, title: Cold chain trains bring about "changes" in banana imports
Author Zhang Xu
Recently, the designated monitoring site for imported fruit at the China-Laos Railway Mohan Railway Port in the New Land-Sea Channel has passed the inspection and acceptance of the General Administration of Customs of China. Imported fruits from Laos, Thailand and other ASEAN countries can be transported through the China-Laos Railway Cold Chain Fruit Special Train.
Industry insiders and experts said that cold chain trains will bring about changes in banana imports.
Recently, special cold-chain fruit trains on the China-Laos Railway have been launched frequently. Fruits such as bananas from Laos and longan from Thailand are shipped to Yunnan, Chongqing, Hunan and other places by train.
"The market demand for cold chain fruit transportation is strong. At present, we have received many inquiries." Deng Qian, deputy director of the marketing department of New Land Sea Corridor Operation Chongqing Co., Ltd., said that it takes 6 to 7 days for a special train to travel from Laos to Chongqing, which is different from land and sea transportation. Compared with about 30 days, it has the advantage of timeliness.
"The long-awaited cold chain train is finally here." Liang Shengzhong, head of the Laos Jinhui Agricultural Company, said that for post-ripening fruits (referring to fruits that are not yet ripe when picked and can only be eaten when they are ripe) bananas In other words, cold chain transportation can better guarantee its quality than normal temperature transportation, and there is "almost no loss" in the transportation process.
Liang Shengzhong said that bananas are a tropical fruit that many countries in the world need to import.
Although China has production in Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan and other places, there is a certain market gap and imports are still needed.
At present, for the Chinese market, banana brands from South America, the Philippines and other places are relatively well-known, and they are mostly transported by cold chain ships.
The opening of the cold chain train will also help bananas from Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand to follow the international mainstream market and build their brands.
"In the context of the opening of the China-Laos Railway and the entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP), the opening of the cold-chain fruit train will bring continuous benefits." Zhou Bing, a professor at Chongqing Technology and Business University, believes that this will benefit the majority of Lao bananas. While providing fast and convenient cold chain logistics, cargo customs clearance and other seamless production and marketing services, the owner will further optimize the turnover link, realize a reasonable adjustment of the supply chain structure, improve logistics efficiency, and inject new impetus into the economic development of China-Laos industry.
Zhou Bing predicts that more Chinese and foreign companies will invest in Laos and other ASEAN countries to lay out industrial chains and expand the planting area of bananas and other crops.
In this regard, Liang Shengzhong also said that in recent years, ASEAN countries, especially Laos, will usher in a wave of growth in planting volume, which may lead to a "change" in China's banana imports, and banana competition in Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and other countries The power will be stronger, and even compete with South American and Philippine bananas.
Zhou Bing believes that this "changing situation" is a win-win situation for China and ASEAN countries.
For China, it is conducive to restructuring the industrial chain, accelerating economic transformation, and moving towards high-quality development. It is also conducive to boosting the process of RMB internationalization; for ASEAN countries, China is one of their largest markets, which facilitates cooperation with China. Contact with the market can export its characteristic products, drive economic development, and will also help to enhance the level of regional integration.
Deng Qian revealed that the new land-sea channel will build a Lao banana display and trading center in Chongqing with a dry port as the carrier, promote the interactive circulation of high-quality goods in inland areas and overseas goods, and realize the organic combination of "bringing in" and "going out".
In addition, the new land-sea channel is also exploring the construction of the "China-Cambodia Banana Industrial Park" project with Cambodia to create an integrated banana supply chain of "transportation, trade and production", injecting new impetus into the industrial and economic development of China and ASEAN countries.
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