Uruguayan lemons approved for import into China

On Nov. 29, the General Administration of Customs of China issued an announcement via its website stating that fresh Uruguayan lemons meeting the stipulated phytosanitary requirements would be permissible for import. As early as 2017, the GACC granted market access to other Uruguayan citrus fruits, with the exception of lemons. Following this latest announcement, all categories of citrus fruits from Uruguay are now allowed to enter China. At present, Uruguay boasts a citrus cultivation area of approximately 15,000 hectares, which is primarily concentrated on the north bank of the Uruguay River and various provinces in the south of the country, with a total annual production of 271,000 metric tons. In terms of citrus categories, oranges take the lead, accounting for 40% of overall production, closely followed by mandarins and tangerines at 35.5% and lemons at 23.5%, with grapefruit and other items making up the remaining 1%. Uruguay is Latin America’s second-largest citrus ...