Tangerines cultivated in an orchard in Taizhou, located in East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/taizhou.com.cn]

The succulent and flavorful tangerines cultivated in Taizhou, Zhejiang province are poised to make their way to Russia in the latter half of this year, following the nation's lifting of a suspension on Chinese citrus imports.

Russian authorities have informed the General Administration of Customs that Chinese companies registered for exporting citrus fruits, stone fruits, and nuts to Russia can resume their exports after meeting the country's phytosanitary requirements, as reported by Taizhou Customs.

Three fruit orchards and their associated packaging factories in Taizhou are among the first Chinese citrus enterprises to receive approval to resume exports to Russia after the suspension was put in place in 2020.

Citrus fruits were previously a major agricultural export from China to Russia. During the peak season, Taizhou alone exported over 30,000 metric tons of citrus fruits to Russia every year, constituting approximately 80 percent of the total citrus exports from the region.

"Fruit cooperatives exported tangerines to Russia several years ago, and they were popular among local consumers," stated Feng Yifa, general manager of Linhai Yongquan Citrus Professional Cooperative.

Feng emphasized that the reinstatement of export qualifications for Chinese citrus producers in compliance with the requirements is a significant boon for the cooperative. At the same time, they are actively coordinating with customs, aiming to acquire qualifications for exporting to additional countries, Feng revealed.

Zhang Qiaoling, an official at the Linhai office of Taizhou Customs, said that Taizhou Customs has devised a series of supportive measures to promote citrus exports, with the goal of aiding local citrus exporters in boosting their product competitiveness, expanding their export markets, and seizing opportunities in the international market.

Nearly 1,000 tons of citrus fruits worth 11 million yuan ($1.53 million) are expected to be exported to Russia this year.