Ningbo Evening News: Xiangshan Port welcomes the first batch of imported 23 tons of fresh snow crabs this year

On January 31st, there was a busy scene at the Shipu New Port in Xiangshan. After on-site supervision by Xiangshan Customs officers under Ningbo Customs, a batch of live snow crabs weighing about 23 tons were about to enter the domestic fresh market. This is the first batch of live aquatic animals imported since the opening of Xiangshan Port in December 2025 and passing the national level inspection.
Snow crab, also known as pine leaf crab, is a high-end seafood treasure bred in the cold waters of the North Pacific and southern Arctic Ocean. Its claws are slender, the crab legs are full, and the meat is fresh, sweet, and delicate. It is named after the crab meat, which is as white as snow after cooking. In recent years, snow crabs have become highly sought after due to their unique flavor and scarcity, and China has become one of the core consumer markets.
As a cold water deep-sea crab, snow crabs require strict transportation and storage conditions, and live crabs require a constant temperature of 1 ℃ -4 ℃ and continuous oxygen supply throughout the transportation process. During storage, it is also necessary to maintain a humidity of over 90%. As the only designated regulatory site for imported edible aquatic animals by sea in Ningbo, Xingang Port provides customs clearance and storage guarantees for fresh aquatic products with its complete temporary breeding pool, water circulation purification system, and cold chain facilities.
To ensure the rapid release of this batch of "Spring Festival gifts" from the deep sea to the market, Xiangshan Customs has opened a green channel for fresh product clearance, implemented a "pre declaration+24-hour appointment inspection" mechanism, and achieved "zero waiting" inspection and release of goods upon arrival at the port.
We have communicated with enterprises in advance to grasp the ship berthing plan, synchronously completed the document review, and ensured that fresh products are inspected and released immediately upon arrival. In response to the high safety risks and multiple entry requirements of imported aquatic animals, we provide comprehensive assistance and guidance, and use the "online+offline" method to provide detailed interpretations of national entry, product entry, enterprise filing, and other contents, helping enterprises import smoothly, "said Xue Xinchun, Deputy Director of Xiangshan Customs.
The high protein and low-fat health attributes of snow crabs are the core of consumers' choices nowadays. As the Spring Festival of the Year of the Horse approaches, many distributors and consumers have already inquired and made reservations. With the efficient assistance of customs, this batch of snow crabs will be quickly supplied to the Yangtze River Delta market, and it is expected to be served on consumers' tables this week, becoming the 'final fresh flavor' of New Year's Eve dinner, "said Cao Wangnan, legal representative of Haozhou (Xiangshan) Aquatic Products Trading Co., Ltd.
It is reported that Xingang Port was approved as the designated port for imported edible aquatic animals by the state in 2016, and is currently the only designated port for imported edible aquatic animals in Ningbo City. Since July 2022, Xiangshan has imported approximately 530 tons of live crabs such as king crabs and snow crabs from the Xin Gang Port, with a trade volume exceeding 12 million US dollars.