Chilled salmon from Chile arrives in Changsha

A cargo aircraft carrying chilled salmon from Santiago, Chile, arrived recently at Changsha, Hunan province, ready to tease the taste buds of Chinese diners.

The salmon, weighing 3 metric tons, crossed three continents after a stopover in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and arrived at the Changsha Huanghua International Airport on Saturday. It was the first time the chilled salmon from Chile had come through the port of entry.

The Changsha Customs contacted the import company and guided it to apply for a fast quarantine inspection permit. After arriving, customs workers inspected the salmon immediately for a shortened clearance time.

From January to February, the value of imported aquatic products via Changsha reached 480 million yuan ($69.6 million), up 19.3 percent year-on-year. For fresh foods, such as fruit and seafood, customs at the airport opened a green channel to speed the process.