Panama has managed to open a new import market for its pineapples: China. The negotiation has been carried out between the Ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA) and the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China, which verified that all the export requirements demanded by the Asian country were met.

Exports will be carried out under the Panama Exporta brand, meeting the requirements established in the Protocol of Phytosanitary Requirements for the Export of Fresh Pineapples from Panama to China, signed at the end of last year.

Some of the companies that will be able to export pineapples to China include Ananas Trading, Inc., Panamá, S.A., Verba Odrec, S.A, Primero Cuarenta Group Inc., Cabo Zarzo, S.A., Tropical Fruit Company, S.A, Dolce Pineapple Corp. and Augro Fresh Panamá Group.

As stipulated in the protocol signed between Panama and China, the pineapples to be shipped to the Chinese market must comply with the Chinese phytosanitary laws and the safety and health regulations, making sure that they do not carry any quarantine pests to China.
The protocol also dictates that all the companies exporting pineapples to China must be implementing Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), or other similar international certification standards. They must also adopt Integrated Pest Management Systems in order to keep quarantine pests under control and prevent their spread to China.

Source (in Spanish): Metro Libre (13 May 2019)