As crab season kicks off in October, Hong Kong residents can look forward to enjoying fresher and more affordable Chinese hairy crabs, with the first direct shipments from mainland China arriving in the city after nearly a decade of indirect imports.
The Environment and Ecology Bureau announced today that two batches totaling 300 kilograms of hairy crabs from Jiangsu Province had been directly transported to Hong Kong from the mainland.
This marks a significant development, as direct imports of these prized delicacies have been halted since 2016.
The resumption follows close coordination between Hong Kong authorities and mainland China’s customs service, ensuring smoother import processes.
The bureau expressed gratitude for the central government’s support in facilitating this arrangement.
Direct shipments are expected to reduce transportation time and lower costs for businesses, ultimately offering consumers more options at potentially better prices.
The suspension of direct crab imports began in 2016 when Hong Kong’s food safety authorities detected excessive levels of dioxins in a batch of Taihu hairy crabs, leading to a sales ban and recall despite valid mainland health certificates.
Since then, crabs from the mainland have reached Hong Kong via indirect routes through countries like Japan and South Korea, driving up costs and prices for local buyers.
