Lantao International Co., Ltd, a well-known fruit import company, opened its seventh outlet in China on July 19 in Qingdao, East China’s Shandong province.

The outlet is located at Qingdao Dongfangdingxin International Agricultural and Non-Staple Products Trading Center, where high-quality fruits from both home and abroad are gathered and sold.

A customs clearance and inspection platform is expected to open at the trading center at the end of September, according to a source from the center.

Headquartered in Canada, Lantao International will join hands with the trading center, bringing more first-rate fruits, including cherries, blueberries, apples and grapes, from overseas to the market in Qingdao and around China.

"The time for transporting fruits from overseas to Qingdao will be saved, which may help keep fruits fresh and reduce costs, when the new customs clearance system starts at the trading center,” said John Wang, CEO of Lantao International Co., Ltd.

Currently, overseas fruits are imported to China by ship or air. Customs clearance and inspection procedures for fruit imported by sea are available only in Shanghai and Shenzhen.

Wang said that cherries from Washington state in the US could reach Qingdao within 24 hours by air in the near future.