The first grape export shipment from Zhejiang this summer, 11.5 tons of "Sunshine Rose" produced in Cixi, will be shipped to Southeast Asia

Customs officers from Cixi Customs under Ningbo Customs are conducting pre export supervision on registered vineyards for exported grapes. Photo by Xu Lidan　　

Chao News Correspondents Cheng Min, Sun Jing, Xu Lidan, Yang Qixing Reporter Weng Yunqian
　　  
On July 22nd, at the Kandun National Day Fruit and Vegetable Farm in Cixi City, Ningbo, a batch of sunshine rose grapes with greenery and fragrance that had just left the branches will be shipped to Malaysia. This batch of sunshine roses weighs 11500 kilograms and is the first grape export order from Zhejiang Province this year.
As a returning new farmer born in the 1990s, Wu Kaibo, the head of Guoqing Farm, realized several years ago that high-quality sunshine roses not only need to expand into the domestic market, but also need to be exported overseas.
Since Yangmei, which has a shorter harvesting period and more difficult storage and transportation, can be exported internationally, why don't grapes try to break through? "In 2024, with the encouragement and support of customs and agricultural departments, Guoqing Farm successfully completed its first export order and became the" vanguard "of Ningbo grape exports.
Cixi is an important grape production area in Zhejiang Province, relying on the characteristics of coastal saline alkali soil to achieve a balanced sugar acid ratio and unique flavor and taste. In recent years, the local area has also promoted ecological planting and green prevention and control technologies, producing grapes with plump and sweet grains, as well as the advantages of being resistant to storage and transportation and having a low fruit drop rate. They perfectly meet the quality requirements of long-distance shipping and overseas fresh markets, and have outstanding competitiveness and recognition in the Southeast Asian market.
With the pursuit of quality and attention to detail, Cixi grapes have embarked on a wider path of going global, receiving long-term cooperative orders for three consecutive years, expanding their export countries, and steadily increasing their sales revenue. In 2024, export 6 tons with a value of 165000 yuan; In 2025, export 180 tons with a value of 2.158 million yuan.
In order to promote the export of high-quality agricultural products, Cixi Customs has changed from "passive waiting for declaration" to "active on-site assistance", and tailored a "one product, one policy" refined supervision plan for exported grapes.
Amidst the scorching heat, the high temperatures pose greater challenges to the hygiene, quarantine safety, and customs clearance efficiency of grapes. Cixi Customs seized the critical window period before formal declaration, conducted pest and disease monitoring before harvesting to ensure quality and safety, and reminded enterprises to strictly comply with hygiene standards at key nodes. They also designed a customs clearance plan that includes convenient measures such as inspection "green channels", certificate "cloud issuance", and "7 × 24 hours" appointment clearance.
For growers, the most difficult thing is how to grasp the regulatory requirements of the destination country. We leverage the advantages of the 'Citong Technology and Trade Studio' to provide targeted services for technology and trade measures information through an 'online push+offline interpretation' model, helping enterprises actively respond to trade barriers, "said a staff member from Cixi Customs.
From Singapore to Malaysia, Cixi grapes are gradually transforming from a popular local fruit in China to a popular overseas specialty product, becoming a distinctive foreign trade "sweet messenger" with distinct labels.