New Year at the grassroots level: welcoming the "red" from Africa, Shanghai Customs is fully committed to guarding and ensuring customs clearance

On January 15th, as the Great Cold approached, a group of guests from afar arrived at the Waigaoqiao Port Area in Shanghai. A batch of dried chili peppers weighing about 11 tons from Uganda in East Africa has been inspected and approved by the Shanghai Waigaoqiao Port Area Customs (hereinafter referred to as "Waigang Customs") under the jurisdiction of Shanghai Customs, and all customs clearance procedures have been completed. This is the "first order in Uganda" after Uganda's dry chili obtained China's market access. It is also another important achievement for China to implement the spirit of the Beijing summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation in 2024 and promote economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

Zhang Xiaoxin, the deputy head of the inspection department on duty, stood on the second inspection platform, and the tool kit and inspection individual operation system were already prepared. He instinctively tightened the zipper of his winter suit and focused his gaze on a row of containers waiting to be opened. This order is of great significance, "Zhang Xiaoxin said to her colleagues." This batch of chili peppers is an important achievement of great country diplomacy and the first import in the country. Since the chili peppers were shipped from Africa at the end of last year, we have been in contact with the importer and closely tracking their logistics situation. Today, these friends who came from afar have finally 'entered the door'

My job is to conduct comprehensive medical examinations for these 'plant passengers', "Zhang Xiaoxin defined her responsibilities as a" veteran "in the front line of customs inspection, who has been working at Waigaoqiao Port for many years. As the container door slowly opened, a strong and mellow spicy aroma instantly hit me. This batch of chili peppers that have been naturally dried have a bright red color and attractive appearance, but Zhang Xiaoxin was not misled by the appearance. He skillfully extracted samples according to the control instructions, opened boxes, screened, and inspected carefully, every action was decisive and efficient. Subsequently, he crouched down and placed the magnifying glass close to the sieve, like a precise radar, carefully searching through the folds and debris of the dried chili.

In recent days, Zhang Xiaoxin's mind has been repeatedly reviewing the "blacklist" of quarantine harmful organisms in the announcement of the General Administration of Customs, including the corn borer, four striped bean weevil, and vegetable bean weevil. In order to welcome this "first order", he systematically sorted out the characteristics and identification points of harmful organisms that may be carried by dried chili peppers in Uganda one week in advance. Dried chili peppers belong to plant products, and the main risk lies in storage pests. We must strictly supervise and safeguard the first line of defense for biosecurity at the national border. During the half-hour inspection, Zhang Xiaoxin maintained a squatting position, like a focused sculpture. Until it was confirmed that this batch of chili peppers was free from pests, mold, and impurities, he slowly stood up and solemnly entered the information on the inspection form.

By 2025, the container throughput of Shanghai Port will exceed 55 million TEUs, setting a new historical high and ranking first among global ports for 16 consecutive years. Behind this huge number are countless goods like this batch of Ugandan chili peppers, carrying the hopes of foreign farmers and connecting the lives of Chinese people. When I first started working, I felt that this place was filled with shipping containers and the roaring river breeze, and life was a bit boring, "Zhang Xiaoxin recalled her initial state of mind." It wasn't until later that I realized that what we were guarding was not only the country's borders, but also the livelihoods and expectations of millions of people

According to statistics from Shanghai Customs, by 2025, the import of agricultural products from Africa at Shanghai Port will reach 10.03 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 25.3%; During the entire 14th Five Year Plan period, the cumulative import of African agricultural products reached 39.21 billion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of 10.9%. Look at these chili peppers, they are the 'golden fruit' for local farmers in Uganda to lift themselves out of poverty and become prosperous. When they arrive in China, they become the fresh aroma in hotpot and the bright color on the dining table. "Zhang Xiaoxin took off her gloves, rubbed her hands, which were red from the cold, and took a breath of heat." If our inspection speed is faster, the cost of the enterprise will be lower, and the bridge of China Africa trade will be wider