Dried squid from Manila, the Philippines, reach Yiwu, a county-level city in Jinhua, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

A 1,631-kilogram shipment of dried squid from Manila, the Philippines, recently made its way to Yiwu Airport after a mere 3-hour flight and will later arrive on tables across the region.

This marks a significant milestone for Yiwu. Traditionally reliant on sea freight, which could take up to 10 days, the shift to air freight has reduced the transportation time to just three hours. It not only meets the time-sensitive demands of importers but also promises fresher products for consumers.

A representative of the importing agent, Yiwu Heguang Import and Export Co, lauded the cost-efficiency of the air freight trial, highlighting the newfound flexibility in managing import batches and weights, while the sea freight has minimum load requirements.

At present, a total of 193 flights have been completed on the Yiwu-Manila route, bringing a variety of goods, including fruits, frozen aquatic products, and dried seafood.