Taiwan exported more than 1,150 tons of fruit with zero-tariff to the Chinese mainland in the first four months of this year, a rough equivalent to those in the last five months in 2005, sources with the General Administration of Customs (GAC) announced Wednesday.

Gao Rongkun, director with the Administration's Tariffs Collection and Control Department, told a press conference that the Chinese mainland witnessed increasing imports of Taiwan fruit in the past year, and the GAC will set up a proper customs clearance system to facilitate the import of Taiwan fruit.

Statistics from the GAC show that Taiwan exported more than 2,310 tons of fruit to the mainland between August 1 last year and April 30, 2006, with a value of US$2.9 million, exempting over 3.9 million yuan (US$ 488,000) of tariff.

The mainland has scrapped tariffs on 15 varieties of Taiwan fruit since August 1 last year, and decided to give the same preferential policy to 19 types of Taiwan-grown vegetables and seafood in April this year during the cross-Straits business forum.

(Xinhua News Agency May 17, 2006)