West China

Shaanxi looks to become special port for meat and grain

2014-10-27 16:35:02

The Xi’an International Trade and Logistics Park, in the city of Xi’an, capital of Shaanxi province, is waiting for port designation for handling imports of meat and grain products, after having applied for the designation, this past last February, Xian Daily reports.

When Wu Haiqing, the vice-head of China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, visited the park, on July 17, he encouraged the park to first do some pilot work with grain imports. Then on Oct 10, a General Administration delegation paid the park a visit to see whether they were suitable for port designation for meat imports and its vice-director, Bi Kexin, said they would support Shaanxi’s application and respond as soon as possible.

The park is also planning on applying for cotton and automobile designation to widen its trade, especially since Xi’an wants to become a new starting point on the Silk Road. Last year, the province imported 5,000 tons of meat products, at a time when market demand was around 40,000 tons. But, without a designated port, rather than import from foreign countries directly, Shaanxi enterprises have to import meat from other coastal ports or nearby provinces, increasing costs and causing market difficulties. The port designation would also cut transportation costs by 15 percent and give people imported meat at lower prices.

Source: China Daily

Editor:Liu Kan

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