Reporters recently learnt from Ningbo Customs that within the first 9 months of this year, Ningbo Free Trade Zone totally imported 5,812 tons of tunas, an increase of 59.2% over the same period time of last year, accounting for 48% of total tonnage of imported tunas in Ningbo Port; with the value of US Dollars 8,950,000, an increase of 2.6 times over the same period time of last year.

In February this year, Zhejiang Ocean Family’s super-frozen tuna processing base officially settled down Ningbo Free Trade Zone. This is the biggest super-frozen tuna processing base at eastern China even southern China region. “Relying on the unique advantage of duty-free function and location of Ningbo Free Trade Zone and convenient clearance measures of Ningbo Customs, company’s tuna import & export business grew rapidly. Since the base has been set up, we have accumulatively processed 15,000 tons of tunas, among which are 11,000 tons of canned tunas, exporting to Europe and America, and more than 4,000 tons of super-frozen tuna products, exporting to Japan.” said Mr. Zeng Yue Xiang, the president of Zhejiang Ocean Family Co., Ltd. .

In recent years, Ningbo Free Trade Zone has been fully exploiting the comprehensive advantages of port, location, functions, policies and services, developing import & export business and cultivating and building professional import & export commodity markets. And super-frozen tuna processing base is one of the key developing areas.

According to Mr. Zeng Yue Xiang’s introduction, within the one year construction time of company’s super-frozen tuna processing base, Ningbo Customs has been supporting the business all the way: repeatedly send officials to the processing base, give the onsite guidance on company’s storage, transportation, processing and other businesses, continuously optimize the supervision mode, give the priority of clearance to frozen seafood products, set the special working agenda of clearance during the non-work hours and holidays, offer the precedence of sending supervisors for inspection works and actively guide the company to develop more value-added services. These wonderful measures really help the company to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness.

The latest statistics from Ningbo Customs shows that within the first nine months of this year, Ningbo Port has accumulatively imported 12,000 tons of tunas, with the value of US Dollars 18,470,500, an increase of 1.3 and 2.6 times over the same period time of last year. Facing the continuous growth of import volumes of tunas, Ningbo Customs is committed to improve the efficiency of clearance, provide pre-declaration and pre-classified services, implement “365 days of no-holiday clearance” and open “12360” hotline to accept enquiries from enterprises to ensure that tunas imported through Ningbo Port get the customs clearance at the first time.

Looking forward to the future, Mr. Zeng Yue Xiang is very confident: relying on the excellent support from Ningbo Customs and great customs clearance environment of Ningbo Port, Ocean Family will try all the best to develop Ningbo processing base to be the biggest tuna processing base in China, writing a new chapter of the development of ocean fisheries industry and providing more green, natural and healthy seafood to domestic and abroad consumers. (text/ Li Peng Cheng, Wu Hui)