China – The Logistics of Fresh Fruit & Vegetables
Setting
China in 1984 was very agricultural, however no quality foods were anywhere to be found. All my foods I imported from Hong Kong having to pay import duties along the way as well as incurring major delays where our refrigerated trucks and containers would be frequently opened to inspect the produce, more often than not resulting in below par quality by the time the goods arrived at their ultimate destination: the oil rig in the South China Sea.
Challenge
Obviously, my French and American clients complained bitterly about their salads, and other fresh products and pointed out, quite rightly, that most of the fresh produce found in Hong Kong actually originated from China. China however, insisted on exporting, which is why no quality was to be found locally, not even when going to the collective farms myself.
Solution
I convinced to local customs office that they could classify sales to off-shore oil rigs as export especially since we would pay for the produce through our Hong Kong bank account.
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