Fresh food imports through Ningbo airport surge in Jan-July

Customs officials inspect imported lobsters. [Photo by Wu Daiyang and Sun Jiajun/Yongpai App]

Ningbo's air gateway is seeing a sharp rise in fresh food imports, highlighting the city's growing appeal as a distribution hub for high-quality seafood and other fresh products.

According to Ningbo Airport Customs, the value of fresh food imported through Ningbo's airport reached 400 million yuan ($59.51 million) in the first seven months of this year, up 620 percent year-on-year.

The range of imported products has also expanded, with lobster, mud crab, salmon, and eel increasingly available in the Ningbo market. Lobster remained the leading import, with imports valued at 370 million yuan during the period.

The sourcing network has continued to broaden, covering countries and regions including Canada, the United States, Norway, and Bangladesh. Canada became Ningbo's largest source of fresh food imports, with July imports alone approaching 60 million yuan and imports in the first seven months up 510 percent year-on-year.

Fresh products have a short shelf life and high quality requirements, placing strict demands on customs clearance speed and inspection efficiency. To meet these needs, Ningbo Airport Customs has optimized inspection and clearance procedures and provided tailored services to speed up the process.

Faster clearance helps preserve product quality, reduce spoilage risks, and lower logistics costs, further strengthening Ningbo's position as a gateway for global fresh food.