SHANGHAI, China: PLS Plantations Bhd’s joint venture with Shanghai-based Greenland Group has sealed deals with four China-based fruits distributors to ship more durian products from Malaysia to China.
The four are Shanghai Yuandi International Trading Co Ltd, Shanghai Supply Chain Management Co Ltd, Shanghai Haoyuan Food Co Ltd and Shanghai IVC Sun Supply Chain Management Co Ltd.
The signing ceremony was held in conjunction with “2019 Malaysia Cultural Week G-Hub – Durian Festival” organised by the Greenland Group with PLS, at the Greenland Global Commodity Trading Hub in Shanghai.
PLS Plantations executive chairman Tan Sri Lim Kang Hoo and Greenland Holdings Corp Ltd Executive Vice President Zhang Yun expressed their confidence Malaysian durian will be swiftly-distributed to China.
Malaysia Special Envoy to The People’s Republic of China Tan Kok Wai, Shanghai Customs Office officer Guo Jun, Biosecurity Department Director of Shanghai Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau Xiao WenQing and Deputy Head of Qingpu District Ni XiangJun witnessed the signing ceremony held in China.
In August 2018, Malaysia’s Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry had signed an export protocol with China’s General Administration of Customs for frozen whole fruit durians.
With the new protocol, on top of the frozen durian paste, the export of whole fruits into China is also permitted. At the moment, the export of frozen whole fruit durians is still pending approvals by the Chinese authorities.
PLS Plantations previously had signed a strategic partnership agreement with Greenland to form Greenland-PLS joint venture to sell and market its durian products.
Since then, the Greenland-PLS joint venture had imported popular durian species from Malaysia, including D197 Musang King and D24 Sultan King in the form of frozen products.
According to the trade data compiled by United Nations, durian exports to China had increased by 35 per cent on average a year.
The exports were valued at US$1.1 billion in 2017, significantly higher than the US$243 million recorded a decade ago.