Yantai Poultry Exports Start 2026 with a Bang

Exports of poultry products from Yantai, Shandong province, are off to a flying start in 2026, driven by a sharp rise in overseas orders that shows no signs of slowing.

Following the Chinese New Year holiday, workers at the prepared food facility of the Springsnow Food Group Co., Ltd. were busy packing European orders as trays of golden-brown karaage chicken, crispy on the outside and juicy within, raced along the production line.

"Orders from Europe have jumped significantly early this year, with exports of cooked poultry up 15 percent year-on-year," said Gai Furong, head of the quality control section at Springsnow Food Group Co., Ltd. "We owe that to improved product quality, and now our products reach more than 20 countries and regions around the world."

To help local poultry exporters expand their global footprint, Yantai Customs, a subsidiary of Qingdao Customs, has been guiding companies to tighten control over production processes, ensuring that export products meet strict testing standards, covering everything from physicochemical specifications to microbiological limits, as required by the destination countries.

Down the line at Shandong Ronghua Food Group Co., Ltd., neatly stacked boxes of poultry products, following raw material inspection, portioning, and marinating, now fill the warehouse, awaiting shipment overseas.

"Demand for poultry products always jumps around the Spring Festival, which has led to a sharp rise in our export orders," said Zhao Decan, head of the quality management department at Shandong Ronghua Food Group Co., Ltd. However, with some workers on rotating leave during the holiday, he added, ensuring smooth and timely Customs clearance had become a major concern.

"To ease such concerns, we've rolled out an inspection model that allows for inspection upon declaration and release upon qualification," said Chen Li, head of the Second Section of Inspection at Zhifu Office of Yantai Customs. The Customs authority, he added, had also made significant efforts to ensure system connectivity, enabling one-click submission for testing, real-time reporting of test results, and timely updates on inspection status, all to ensure smooth Customs clearance for poultry exports. (By Liang Huili and Chen Li)