The General Administration of Customs has approved the entry of South Korean persimmons, and will officially begin imports to China next year.

South Korea has been requesting to export persimmons since 2008, and after 17 years, it has finally been granted access. The South Korean side stated that the packaging plants are still under review by China, and the first exports will commence next year. The announcement showed that the quarantine pests of concern to China include pear scale, American white moth, elm scale, persimmon thrips, smoky-brown scutellum, persimmon tail spore, and persimmon stem spot. All orchards exporting to China should implement Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) or other similar safety system standards and execute integrated pest management (IPM). During the packaging process, the persimmons for export to China need to be screened, sorted, and the fruit surface should be cleaned using high-pressure air guns or water guns to ensure that there are no insects, mites, rotten fruits, branches, leaves, and other plant residues and soil on the persimmon fruit.