At approximately 4:00 PM on December 15, one tonne of Beninese pineapples arrived at Changsha Airport via air freight. This shipment marks Hunan's first import of Beninese pineapples and a new milestone in expanding agricultural trade between Hunan and Africa.

Beninese pineapples are shaped like a water droplet. Even when fully ripe, they often remain green. The flesh is white, tender, and sweet, with a soft and juicy texture that is not so acidic and doesn’t need saltwater soaking. Compared to the pineapples commonly found in Chinese markets, the Beninese pineapples have little sour taste, and are known as Africa's "sweet bread." The "sweet bread" or Sugarloaf pineapple is Benin's first geographical indication product certified by the African Intellectual Property Organization.

Benin is Africa's fourth-largest pineapple exporter, with an annual output of approximately 400,000 tonnes, primarily supplied to European markets. "At the sixth China International Import Expo held in Shanghai in 2023, Benin's Sugarloaf pineapples garnered immediate acclaim upon their debut," said a representative from the importer, the Hunan Zhongjianda International Trade Co., Ltd. This shipment will be distributed to chain supermarkets and fruit stores both within the province and beyond. Based on market feedback, subsequent import volumes are expected to expand further.

There are 117 cases of pineapples in this batch, departing from Benin's local airport and arriving in Changsha via a layover in Ethiopia, with the entire journey taking 17 hours. After passing inspection by the Changsha Huanghua Airport Customs Authority, the pineapples were cleared at 6:00 PM that same day. A Changsha Customs official stated that in accordance with relevant policies, the customs authority granted zero tariffs on these imported pineapples.

This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Yu Jiangjiang

Chinese source: hunantoday