China and Uzbekistan Sign Protocol for Fresh Watermelon Exports

From Sept. 15 to 17, Sun Meijun, minister of the General Administration of Customs of China, led a delegation to Uzbekistan. During the visit, the two sides signed a protocol defining the phytosanitary requirements for exports of fresh watermelons to China, along with a work plan for electronic certification.

China has now approved 38 Uzbek fruit and vegetable products for import, subject to phytosanitary certification. The list has grown quickly. Melons, almonds and dried cherries were added in 2025, and this year came dried garlic, beets, carrots, tomatoes, radishes, pumpkins, eggplants, zucchini and greens. Fresh fruits currently approved for import include cherries, melons, pomegranates, lemons, grapes and stone fruit (nectarines, plums and apricots).

In 2025, Uzbekistan exported 193,000 metric tons of fruit and vegetable products to China, worth $210 million. During the visit, the two sides discussed speeding up phytosanitary procedures to allow the import of seven more Uzbek products: apples, pears, onions, persimmons, dried figs, millet and sunflower seeds.

Image: Adam Jones on Wikimedia Commons, distributed under a CC BY-SA 2.0 license (cropped)

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