(ECNS) — A total of 22 tons of South African avocados were cleared through the Yangshan Port in Shanghai after inspection on Tuesday, marking the first batch of South African avocados imported into China.

In August 2024, the General Administration of Customs of China released a list of South African avocado companies that meet import requirements, making South Africa the third African country to gain market access for fresh avocados in China, following Kenya and Tanzania.

During the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Summit, China signed agreements with several African countries to boost agricultural exports. Since the start of the year, China has signed 16 agricultural product export agreements with 14 African countries. From January to August this year, China imported 28.47 billion yuan(about $3.52 billion) worth of agricultural products from Africa, an increase of 4.8 percent year-on-year.

Shanghai is a key entry ports for African agricultural imports. In the first eight months of this year, agricultural imports from Africa through Shanghai ports reached 6.12 billion yuan, up 15.5 percent year-on-year.

Following the arrival of the first batch of South African avocados, Yangshan Customs established a channel for African agricultural imports, offering facilitated clearance measures, and prioritized inspection and release, according to Shao Qian, Deputy Section Chief of the Inspection Division at Yangshan Customs.