Hej
THAI DURIAN PRICES CRASH AFTER CHINA’S CHEMICAL TEST RULES
By Khaosod English - January 16, 2025
Thai fruit board meeting in January, 2025 has approved stricter measures requiring 100% inspection of all durian export containers.
BANGKOK — Thailand’s durian export industry is in a serious crisis after more than 100 containers were rejected by China because the test results for the carcinogenic dye “Basic Yellow 2” (BY2) were missing. The rejected durians have been sent back and are being sold on the “Talad Thai” market, resulting in a price drop from the initial purchase prices of 230-240 baht/kg to only 110-120 baht/kg, forcing exporters (known as “long”) to stop buying.
The General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) reported the detection of Basic Yellow 2, a substance classified by the WHO as a Group 2B carcinogen, in Thai durian exports. China now requires all Thai durian shipments to be accompanied by a test report confirming the absence of BY2 and cadmium.
In addition, spot checks will be carried out at entry points by land, sea and air. If residues are found, imports will be suspended immediately. The regulation has been in effect since January 10, 2025.
The Thai Durian Association stated that several export associations have issued a ban on the use of such chemical additives in the production of durians for export in order to comply with Chinese standards and restore consumer confidence. However, China has adjusted its inspection procedure and extended the duration of inspections from one week to a longer period.
Basic Yellow 2, a substance classified by the WHO as a Group 2B carcinogen, is believed to be used to enhance the yellow color of durian fruit.
The Chinese authorities carry out strict checks for BY2 and cadmium on durians from Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia. While Vietnam has a laboratory that can test for BY2, imported shipments in China require additional testing, which takes about seven days. This delay is expected to cause congestion at border checkpoints and ports as more than 50% of durian shipments from these countries are now being tested.
“China is currently randomly inspecting more than 50 percent of durian shipments from Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia, with the process taking up to seven days.”
A source from a large packing plant told Prachachat Business that the entire durian export system is in chaos. About 100 containers sent to China before January 10, 2025 for Chinese New Year (January 26-28) were rejected due to lack of BY2 test results and had to be sent back.
Waiting for the Chinese authorities to conduct their own BY2 tests would take 7-9 days, with no guarantee that the labs would be able to complete the tests in time. This delay could significantly affect sales during the Chinese New Year, when durian prices usually peak. The financial loss from the rejections is estimated at 500 million baht, with each container worth about 5 million baht.
Returned durians, which are often overripe, may have to be sold domestically at reduced prices. If they are too ripe, they may have to be sold to cold storage for further processing at even lower prices.
Läs hela artikeln här :
https://www.khaosodenglish.com/news...rices-crash-after-chinas-chemical-test-rules/
Mvh isan lover
ph.asiatatler.com
