In Qingdao Customs District, animal quarantine experts with Yantai Customs House made epidemic disease monitoring in local farms of export aquatic animals on September 11.

The epidemic monitoring, with relevant expenses borne by the Customs, was designed to help businesses with pre-warning, prevention and control of epidemic diseases of aquatic animals, so as to ensure the export safety.

As planned, the quarantine experts made field sampling in 4 aquaculture farms, involving 3 marine fishes of fugu rubripes, filefish fry and bass fry to export. Later, the Customs technical lab detected epidemic diseases, drug residue and heavy-metal residue in the sample fishes to guide businesses on fish disease prevention, feeding and drug use.   

Due to COVID-19 pandemic and logistic disruption, during January-April, exports of live aquatic animals from Qingdao to Japan and Korea dropped in value by 16.5% year-on-year.

To revive the exports, besides epidemic disease monitoring, Qingdao Customs expedited the clearance of live aquatic animals by setting a special “green lane” with reservation services and cargo priorities for inspection and detection. Through such efforts, since May, the exports to Japan and Korea have increased in value by 19.7% year-on-year, without negative feedback from both the export markets.