Hainan expands seafood exports

A shipment of frozen seafood from Haikou, Hainan province, arrived at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport in the United States recently, marking a key step in expanding the island province's agricultural exports through a partnership between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong aviation authorities.

The shipment, weighing about 600 kilograms and including large yellow croaker, leopard coral grouper, and green grouper, originated at Haikou Meilan International Airport. It transited through Hong Kong International Airport before reaching the United States. Cathay Pacific operated the flight.

The delivery follows a memorandum of understanding signed in September between Hainan Airport Group and the Airport Authority Hong Kong aimed at boosting air logistics cooperation. The partnership is designed to help Hainan Free Trade Port open new international markets for its agricultural products.

To facilitate the transport, Haikou Meilan International Airport implemented around-the-clock Customs services with Haikou Meilan Airport Customs, including immediate inspection and release of goods. A dedicated team was assigned and a special storage area in the cold chain facility was used to speed up the process.

Meilan airport also worked closely with Cathay Pacific to make use of belly space on passenger flights and the transit efficiency of Hong Kong airport at night. The collaboration enabled the fresh Hainan products to reach major US cities within about 20 hours, establishing a reliable international cold chain channel, according to Hainan Airport Group.

Liang Qiujing, manager of market and sales center of logistics development department, Haikou Meilan International Airport, said the successful shipment demonstrates the growing logistics coordination between Hainan and Hong Kong. By combining Hainan's export policy advantages with Hong Kong's global flight network, the island's tropical fruits can more easily enter global supply chains.

Earlier this year, from May to June, Haikou's volcanic lychees were also shipped via Meilan International Airport to Vancouver, Canada, allowing overseas customers to enjoy fresh, high-quality lychees soon after harvest.

According to Haikou Customs, more than 200 batches of lychees worth over 53 million yuan ($7.4 million) were exported by the end of May. Major export markets included the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Indonesia, the Netherlands, Singapore and Thailand.

International air cargo services at the Haikou Meilan International Airport have grown steadily this year. The airport now operates seven international cargo routes, connecting to eight destinations including Paris, Tbilisi, Milan and Johannesburg.