Chinese import center opens in Zhuhai

The grand opening of a giant food-import center in the Southern China city of Zhuhai could be a boon to U.S. food sales in China.

The 74,300 square meter facility includes cold storage and freezer storage, 1,300 square meters of display space and laboratories to test for food safety. The facility, called a logistics center, is in an economic zone, which allows shippers to store products there without being taxed. Products aren't taxed until they are moved out of the zone.

Oregon Department of Agriculture Director Katy Coba, said, 'We've got to ship container loads (to amortize the cost of shipping product to China. But in China, it's a rarity that someone wants to purchase a whole container load. This facility addresses that, because you can ship a container, store it there and then buyers can come in and buy less than full container loads of product.'