China Eases Phytosanitary Requirements for South African Citrus

On April 22, the General Administration of Customs of China issued an announcement detailing updated phytosanitary requirements for imported fresh citrus fruits from South Africa. The announcement laid out revised cold treatment protocols for fresh South African citrus fruits (excluding lemons) exported to China, with immediate effect.

The updated protocols require fresh South African oranges, grapefruit, mandarins and tangerines destined for China to undergo cold treatment for at least 16 consecutive days at a pulp temperature of −0.2 degrees Celsius or below or at least 19 consecutive days at a pulp temperature of 1 degree Celsius or below.

Compared with the previous standard, the new requirements significantly relax both the temperature and duration thresholds. Previously, to eliminate pests and insect eggs, fresh South African oranges, grapefruit, mandarins and tangerines were required to undergo cold treatment at a pulp temperature of −0.6 degrees Celsius or below for at least 24 consecutive days, with a 72-hour pre-cooling period at −0.6 degrees Celsius prior to treatment. If, on any given day or part of a day, the treatment temperature exceeded −0.3 degrees Celsius, the duration had to be extended by eight hours per day; if the temperature exceeded 0 degrees Celsius, the entire treatment was deemed invalid.

As early as 2021, the GACC had already relaxed its cold treatment requirements for South African lemons. The current standard requires a pulp temperature of 3 degrees Celsius or below for at least 18 consecutive days. Previously, both sides followed the 2006 protocol standard of −0.6 degrees Celsius or below for at least 24 consecutive days.

South Africa is one of the world’s leading lemon exporters. However, excessively low temperatures can cause chilling injury and decay in lemons, which has historically limited export volumes to China. In 2020, only about 151 metric tons of South African lemons were exported to the Chinese market, accounting for less than 0.03% of South Africa’s total lemon exports. After the cold treatment standard was relaxed, exports rose significantly, surpassing 10,000 metric tons for the first time in 2023 and maintaining that level in 2025.

According to data from China Customs, South African grapefruit and tangerines/mandarins have consistently been the main drivers of the country’s citrus exports to China, with import volumes in 2025 reaching 35,077 metric tons and 22,182 metric tons, respectively. In particular, South Africa’s ClemenGold mandarins, which arrive during China’s citrus off-season, have already built strong recognition on the Chinese market. With the further relaxation of cold treatment requirements, South African citrus exports to China are expected to reach a new level.

Image: Pixabay

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article.