What s behind the improved food imports and exports of Ningbo Port

Chinese standards for food exports are normally higher than those for domestic markets. In Ningbo, Zhejiang, however, the unspoken rule of exporting the first-class product and selling the second-rate products at home market will be offset. To accelerate the unifying domestic quality and safety standards with international standards, Ningbo Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau has facilitated the practice of unifying quality standards for products for both overseas and domestic markets in food exporting enterprises.

It is reported that Ningbo is one of those areas in Zhejiang Province with the largest number of foodstuff exporting

enterprises. Ningbo is home to over 140 such enterprises which mainly export aquatic products, canned food, vegetables, tea and many other varieties to EU, the United States, Japan and other nations and regions. In 2015, Ningbo food imports and exports rose 6.8 percent year on year to 28.93billion yuan.

According to the authorities of inspection and quarantine, the implementation of the unified assembly line, standard and quality refers to that export enterprises produce products for both markets home and abroad with the same production line in accordance with the same standards.

As one of the major production areas of canned aquatic products in China, Ningbo mainly exports canned tunas, salmons,

sardines and other canned fish. With the downturn of foreign consumer markets, the export market of aquatic deepprocessing has suffered overwhelmingly downward pressure in recent years, coupled with rising raw materials and labor cost.

A canned food enterprise in Beilun District invested over two million yuan to upgrade its facilities, such as introducing international advanced canned assembly line, strengthening inspection and testing including focusing on water, raw materials, empty cans and other processes in the light of the EU standards. Besides, stringent procurement procedures of raw materials are made to ensure the quality of raw materials, such as all frozen fish must be procured from supplierson record,and the entire cold chain covers the links of fishing, loading and unloading.

Lin Peimao, general manager of the enterprise said, We spent almost two years landing in the EU market to sell our canned aquatic products, which was very consuming. But we would be eliminated if we didn't do that.

The enterprise entered the EU market such as Italy and Spain in August, 2015. In the first nine months of 2016, it exported foodstuffs worth 10 million US dollars to Europe and the United States with products well sold in more than 40 countries.

Marine fish including tunas and salmons is nutritious, but is less favored by domestic consumers. Under the guidance of inspection and quarantine technicians, the company has developed a series of canned tuna products by cooperating with universities in Zhejiang and Hunan. In 2016, domestic sales of its canned aquatic products have reached 20 million yuan.

It is difficult for beverage enterprises to make further development with seasonal constraints if they only rely on exports. How can they both guarantee the delivery and meet various standards when producing two products sold at home and abroad in the same assembly line? They can manage their production by implementing HACCP as suggested by Ningbo Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau.

Initially engaged in producing plastic bottles, a lactic beverage enterprise in Beilun has shifted itself into exporting commissioned processing and OEM of beverages since its acquisition of a foreign beverage maker that enjoys a history of 50 years.

With the help of inspection and quarantine ersonnel, the enterprise has improved its management echanism, health system and personnel training. Today, to ensure the traceability of product quality, the company has implemented stringent reviews of the records of imported raw materials, accessories, food additives and other materials of milk powders, and established acceptance ledgers of raw materials and accessories, records of nonconforming products, and sales ledgers of products.

According to the report, the company's sales have achieved an average increase of more than 100 percent for three consecutive years since its lactic beverages exported the United States in August,2011. Furthermore, the sales in domestic market have reached 70 million yuan in the first nine months of 2016.

When it comes to the significance of implementing the unified assembly line, standard and quality of product sales at home and abroad, an officer of Ningbo Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau indicated that, on the one hand, the same quality products as those in the foreign market could be purchased by consumers in China; on the other hand, product markets and consumption structures in the mid and high end could be optimized, which would further give impetus to transformation and performance of related industries.

LINK:	http://en.nbwh.gov.cn/art/2016/12/28/art_1325_91970.html...
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