New Zealand’s 2026 kiwifruit season has officially begun, with the world’s first dedicated direct-charter vessel arriving at the Port of Shanghai.

　　At 8 a.m. on March 30, 2026, the Panama-registered vessel "Kehua" successfully docked at Shanghai South Port Terminal, fully loaded with over 4,750 tons of the new season's New Zealand kiwifruit. This is also the first direct cargo ship carrying kiwifruit to arrive in China. After completing border inspection entry procedures, this batch of fresh fruit quickly entered the unloading and transfer process. The Yangshan Border Inspection Station and other port units collaborated with port and shipping enterprises to open a "green channel" for customs clearance and unloading of fresh products, fully ensuring the fresh arrival of this season's New Zealand kiwifruit in the Chinese market.

　　Previously, a small amount of red kiwifruit had entered China via air transport and container bulk cargo. With the arrival of the first direct charter ship in Shanghai, market supply will be more abundant, and products pre-ordered by consumers through various online platforms will also be shipped successively.

　　As the first direct kiwifruit special ship to China each year, the "Kehua" vessel, characterized by its "fast speed and large capacity," marks the full start of the new year's kiwifruit import season. It is reported that the vessel set sail from Tauranga Port in New Zealand on March 17 and arrived in Shanghai in just 12 days. This "point-to-point" direct shipping mode ensures fruit quality and transportation scale while optimizing logistics costs.

　　To facilitate efficient transshipment of imported fresh fruit, the Lingang New Area of Shanghai Free Trade Zone has built a cold chain logistics industrial park nearby, equipped with Asia's first automatic sorting and packaging production line for kiwifruit. It takes only a ten-minute drive from South Port Terminal to the park, greatly facilitating the rapid warehousing and market turnover of fresh fruit.

　　To ensure smooth customs clearance and efficient unloading of the direct special ship, the Yangshan Border Inspection Station operates 24-hour duty, providing "inspection upon arrival" services. Pre-inspection procedures are handled online before the ship arrives at the port, and entry checks are quickly completed after the ship arrives, achieving "zero waiting" for fresh fruit loading and unloading. Meanwhile, patrols of the terminal and management of personnel and vehicles are strengthened to create a safe and efficient customs clearance environment at the work site.

　　Wu Xinrong, a police officer from the third team on duty at the Yangshan Border Inspection Station, stated: "We maintain close communication with the terminal and agents to accurately grasp the ship's arrival time. From the ship's steady docking and mooring to the completion of entry procedures, the entire process takes less than 20 minutes. This is also a race against the early spring's rainy and foggy weather to ensure that fresh products can be unloaded and transferred at the fastest speed."