The Free Trade Journey of a Cherry: From the Branch to the Table in No Time

For a cherry from Tasmania, Australia, how long does it take at minimum from docking at the Yangshan Bonded Port Area wharf to being released after inspection? The answer is: 6 hours. This means that after imported overseas fruit arrives at the port, it can be delivered to consumers the same day. Not only is it fresh, but it is also affordable. Fruit is just a microcosm. In every aspect of ordinary people's "food, clothing, entertainment and travel," free trade zone reform is quietly playing a role.

Xinhua News Agency, Shanghai, September 4, new media special dispatch (reporter He Xinrong) For a cherry from Tasmania, Australia, how long does it take at minimum from docking at the Yangshan Bonded Port Area wharf to being released after inspection? The answer is: 6 hours.

At the end of September this year, the Shanghai Free Trade Zone will mark three full years of operation. "Originally this process took at least 2 days, but after free trade zone reform it has been greatly accelerated. This means that after imported overseas fruit arrives at the port, it can be delivered to consumers the same day," Zhao Guozhang, co-founder of the domestic fresh fruit e-commerce company "Tiantian Orchard," said in a recent interview with reporters.

In June 2015, the country's first designated port for imported fruit in a free trade zone was established in Yangshan, Shanghai, and Tiantian Orchard became one of the first to try it. From the initial 4 varieties such as Australian cherries and New Zealand kiwifruit to today's 15 varieties such as American oranges, Mexican avocados and Peruvian grapes, and from 20 orders per day to about 300 orders per day, Tiantian Orchard has conquered many people's taste buds through the free trade zone.

Not only is it fresh, but it is also affordable. Bai Zhanghong, director of the Animal and Plant Quarantine Supervision Division of the Shanghai Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, said that for fresh products such as fruit, the national inspection authorities introduced multiple new policies in free trade zone reform, including "pre-inspection and quarantine" and "one inspection, batch-by-batch write-off," greatly simplifying the logistics links for imported fruit. On average, each box saves enterprises 500 yuan in port area fees and reduces logistics costs by more than 30%.

"From picking to selling, fruit can have a loss rate of 30-40%. For us, compressing time means saving costs," Zhao Guozhang said. In the past, a box of Australian cherries sold on the market for 600 yuan. With rapid customs clearance through the free trade zone, the price can be as low as 350 yuan, equivalent to a 40% discount.

Thanks to free trade zone reform, over the past nearly three years the average annual growth rate of fruit imports at Shanghai ports has reached more than 40%, with last year's import volume at about 1 million tons. In addition to supporting Shanghai's local cross-border e-commerce platforms, it has also radiated to Hangzhou, Ningbo and other parts of the Yangtze River Delta region.

Fruit is just a microcosm. In every aspect of ordinary people's "food, clothing, entertainment and travel," free trade zone reform is quietly playing a role. For example, the new "air inspection, sea release" policy launched by the national inspection authorities in the free trade zone means that while goods are still at sea, samples are first flown over for inspection, so that results are known before the goods arrive and release happens as soon as they reach the port.

Statistics show that after the pilot of "air inspection, sea release," the time from arrival at port to sale for imported infant formula milk powder was shortened from the original 55 days to 11 days, a reduction of as much as 80%. Imported toys were expanded from the initially piloted Mattel brand to the Lego brand, and by mid-year this year more than 2 million Lego toys had been released, with a value of nearly 70 million US dollars. Now, when asked in the free trade zone about the national inspection authorities' new policies, enterprises immediately say "air inspection, sea release."

In addition to "air inspection, sea release," there are also "inspect while releasing" and "others inspect, we release"... "With the goal of creating a convenient business environment, the national inspection authorities have continuously advanced institutional innovation on the basis of the 'ten inspections, ten releases' reform. At present, 8 systems have been replicated and promoted nationwide, and 24 systems have issued specific norms and operating rules, which will be the first to be promoted throughout the city and serve as candidates for nationwide replication and promotion," said Yu Taiwei, director of the Shanghai Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau.

Lowering thresholds beforehand, improving efficiency during the process, and strengthening supervision afterward -- as guardians of the national gate, the national inspection authorities cannot simply seek speed in free trade zone reform, but must also ensure safety. Yu Taiwei said that the national inspection authorities, based on dimensions such as the level of commodity risk and the quality of enterprise credit, are exploring a classified supervision system in the free trade zone. Policies such as "air inspection, sea release" are very convenient, but if it is discovered that the samples flown in by an enterprise are inconsistent with those shipped by sea, the pilot qualification will be resolutely revoked, so that enterprise credit records are fully displayed in the import and export process.