Export Value of Aquatic Products Up 9.1% YoY in Jan-Nov as “Zhoushan Flavors” Pick Up Speed on the Global Stage

Image provided by the interviewed company

On December 15,workers at Zhoushan Green Food Co., Ltd. were busy inside its newly built frozen shrimp patty facility, packing a freshly finished batch for shipment. The patties will soon be loaded onto ocean-going vessels, traveling across seas to reach dinner tables in Europe.

“The shrimp patty is one of our latest specialty developments. With Zhoushan Customs guiding us through the entire process, we’ve gotten it approved under the EU’s new product registration,” explained the head of the Quality Control Department at Zhoushan Green Food Co., Ltd. From January to November this year, the company has exported more than 5,800 metric tons of frozen shrimp and frozen squid. As higher-value-added items like shrimp patties and shrimp paste continue to gain traction abroad, the company is now fully transitioning from competing on volume to competing on quality.

To support local companies in reducing costs, securing orders, and expanding into new markets, Zhoushan Customs has launched a coordinated support program addressing key challenges faced by aquatic-product exporters, such as high international market-entry barriers and prolonged registration timelines. By adopting measures such as “tolerable acceptance for temporary missing files” and the “simultaneous review of multiple vessels”, the Customs authorityhas expedited the process of recommending aquatic product exporters and deep-sea fishing fleets for registration with overseas authorities. According to official data,five companies and 26 fishing vessels in Zhoushan obtained new EU registrations in the first 11 months of the year, collectively accounting for 27.7 percent of all such registrations issued nationwide.

Furthermore, Zhoushan Customs has streamlined its service procedures by offering pre-submission guidance and online processing channels. This has significantly accelerated the handling of key enterprise formalities such as approvals for duty and tax exemptions, export filings, and local declaration procedures, enabling companies to access benefits more quickly. A pivotal step is the introduction of a “quick-inspection, fast-release” clearance model, which initiates checks upon cargo arrival. This system is supported by a “port-to-lab” direct sample-delivery mechanismthat tracks and reports test progress in real time. In addition, the Customs authority is alsopiloting a cloud-based certificate issuance service. Together, these integrated measures enable the entire workflow, from application for export inspection and quarantine to final certificate issuance,to be handled entirely on a single online platform, reducing overall clearance time by nearly 20 percent and significantly improving export turnaround.

According to the data released by Zhoushan Customs, the export declarations for aquatic products in Zhoushan hit 325,000 metric tons, a 6.2 percent year-on-year increase, while the total value jumped 9.1 percent to 8.96 billion yuan.