China Review News:

Recently, some seafood business owners said that their business has been hit hard since the COVID-19 outbreak at the Xinfadi market. Are there any measures to help them overcome the difficulties? Thank you.

Hu Jianping:

Thanks for your question. We've been paying close attention to this matter. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, people's purchasing power has generally declined. Imported seafood in the first five months of this year increased by 5% to 1.9 million metric tons, but the value dropped by 8.5% to $5.7 billion. Thus, the average unit price fell by 13%. According to market feedback, since the COVID-19 outbreak in Xinfadi, all certified seafood, except Salmon, can be sold at the market. As fresh seafood is more popular in southern China, the outbreak did not impact market sales there. But sales indeed dropped in northern China where frozen seafood is more commonplace. To help businesses navigate challenges, related departments have introduced support policies in taxes, social security, rental, and financing. These policies apply to the market and businesses affected by the Xinfadi outbreak. Thank you.