Shanghai - Shanghai Customs on Sunday said a 12.2-tonne shipment of fresh blueberry imports became the first cargo covered by China-Peru bilateral regulatory mutual recognition on the Chancay-Shanghai maritime route.

The mutual recognition applies to supervision of cold-treatment probes for imported fruits. Cold treatment is a globally recognized phytosanitary measure. It uses sustained low temperatures to kill potential quarantine pests on fresh produce.

Under this mutual recognition framework, China and Peru accept each other's verification results for cold-treatment temperature probes fitted to Peruvian fruit consignments. The arrangement streamlines on-site checks after cargo arrives in China. It speeds up customs clearance and helps maintain berry freshness during long ocean voyages.

Launched in late 2024, the Chancay-Shanghai route slashed sea transit time between the two nations from 35-40 days to 23 days, cutting logistics costs by more than 20 percent.

Shanghai Port now handles more than 70 percent of China's fruit imports from Peru.

Under the bilateral protocol, Peruvian blueberries must undergo cold treatment for 15 to 22 days before arriving in China. Valid temperature probes must be placed at specified spots inside containers to ensure proper cold-treatment performance.

Shanghai Customs estimates that the new mutual-recognition deal will sharply shorten inspection time for imported cold-chain fresh fruits and reduce traders' overall expenses across clearance, logistics and warehousing.

In the first eight months of this year, the Chancay-Shanghai route recorded 170 voyages. These trips carried 141,000 tonnes of imports and exports worth 4.04 billion yuan (about 602 million U.S. dollars). Cargo volume rose 13.7 percent year on year, while cargo value jumped 33.3 percent.