Thai snake eels imported for the first time arrive in Chengdu, enriching Sichuan aquatic product market

China News Service, Chengdu, October 3 (Reporter Zhang Lang) On the evening of the 2nd, a batch of Thai snake eels weighing approximately 340 kilograms arrived at Chengdu Tianfu International Airport on flight CA414. They were successfully cleared after customs supervision and inspection. This is Sichuan’s first import of Thai snake eel.

Customs officers at Shuangliu Airport affiliated with Chengdu Customs inspect imported snake eels. Photo provided by Chengdu Customs

Snake eels have a slender body and firm meat, suitable for braised, souped, pan-fried and other Chinese cooking styles, providing Sichuan consumers with new aquatic product options.

"This batch of snake eels has been fully booked before arriving in Chengdu." The relevant person in charge of the import company said that according to the order arrangement, in addition to being partially supplied to the Chengdu market, this batch of goods will also be distributed to Guangdong and other places. Coinciding with the National Day holiday, fresh snake eels from Thailand arrived in Chengdu by flight, adding a fresh flavor to citizens’ holiday tables.

Behind the smooth entry of this batch of snake eels is the continuous improvement of the fresh food import guarantee capabilities of Chengdu Air Port. Tianfu International Airport already has the function of a designated supervision site for imported edible aquatic animals. In 2024, Thailand's Penaeus monodon arrived on flight CA414 and became the first batch of imported edible aquatic animals after the opening of the designated supervision site. In August this year, the General Administration of Customs issued an announcement clarifying that Thai edible aquatic animals that meet relevant requirements can be imported, broadening the channels for Thai aquatic products to enter the Chinese market. According to the requirements, imported edible aquatic animals from Thailand must undergo quarantine approval in advance, obtain an "Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit", and comply with inspection and quarantine requirements such as production enterprise registration, health certificates, and packaging labels.

In order to ensure efficient customs clearance of fresh aquatic animals, Chengdu Shuangliu Airport Customs, affiliated with Chengdu Customs, implements "7×24 hours" customs clearance, optimizes the supervision process based on the characteristics of fresh goods, implements facilitation measures such as advance declaration, speeds up inspection, quarantine and customs clearance, and minimizes the stay time of fresh goods at the port while ensuring national biosecurity and imported food safety.

From Southeast Asian aquatic products to more specialty fresh products, as Chengdu’s air port functions continue to improve, more and more high-quality overseas agricultural and food products enter the southwest market through Chengdu. The first entry of Thai snake eels not only enriches Sichuan's imported aquatic animal species, but also further expands Chengdu's fresh product import channels, adding more consumption options to citizens' National Day dining tables. (over)