At present, some Sino-Vietnamese border crossings have reopened, but the question is how to strictly test for the COVID-19. Because if the virus is detected, China will continue to close border crossings. In the upcoming period, some border crossings will be closed during the Spring Festival. Therefore, it will be very difficult to clear customs if there is a continued backlog of goods at border crossings.
Especially for pitaya fruits that are currently in the peak of the harvest period, Li Qingsong, deputy director of the Plantation Bureau, said that in the first quarter of 2022, the output of pitaya fruits in Binh Thuan, Long An and Qian Giang provinces will reach 226,400 tons. Among them, 101,216 tons will be exported by sea, and 5,087 40-foot refrigerated containers are needed to be used, including 2,700 in Long An, 1,975 in Binh Thuan and 412 in Qian Giang.
Li Qingsong added that the cost of shipping has tripled compared to the past, making the cost of exporting companies much higher. In addition, the shortage of reefer containers and ships for export by sea, and the long transportation time will affect the quality of pitaya fruits, which makes it difficult to export pitaya fruits by sea. China's strict control of the COVID-19 has also slowed loading and unloading at seaports. If the virus is detected, the pitaya fruits are at risk of being returned.
A representative of the Maritime Administration of the Ministry of Transport of Vietnam said that at present, most shipping companies have stops in China, and some of them specialize in the Chinese market, such as COSCO and Yang Ming. However, the number of reefer containers that can be stored onboard is limited. In addition, the refrigerated containers are currently in short supply, and refrigerated containers are used for imports into China, while only ordinary containers are used for exports. As a result, shipping companies will have to import refrigerated containers, increasing shipping costs.
In terms of shipping companies, a representative of CMA CGM said that pitaya fruit products have always been transported by land, while bananas, grapefruits, durians and other fruits are transported by sea. A large number of pitaya fruits are now being moved from land to sea in a short period of time, making it difficult for shipping companies to arrange ships and allocate empty containers.
Source: FruitReviewer