East China's Jiangsu province saw dairy products imports almost quadruple on-year in the first five months amid recovery in demand and the price advantage of imports.

 

Provincial customs reported that Jiangsu bought 1,537 tonnes of dairy products from abroad from January to May, up 370% from the same period last year.

 

The imports were valued at US$4.28 million, up 590%, with the average price up 45.8% to US$2,785 per tonne. The total arrivals included 556.9 tonnes from New Zealand, up more than 900%, and 392.2 tonnes from Australia, up 290%.

 

A customs spokesman attributed the growth to lack of confidence in domestic products after the tainted milk scandal in September 2008 and comparatively lower prices of imports.