Groupers in a supermarket in Beijing File photo: VCG

The customs of the Chinese mainland said on Friday it would suspend imports of groupers from the island of Taiwan starting from Monday, after detecting prohibited drugs in such imports multiple times since 2021.

The forbidden drugs included Oxytetracycline in amounts that exceeded the standard, read a notice published by the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) on Friday.

In order to protect consumers and in accordance with the relevant laws, regulations and standards of the Chinese mainland, all customs offices will suspend customs declarations of grouper from Taiwan from June 13, 2022, said the GACC.

The GACC issued an advisory notice in late 2021, according to which mainland customs ramped up inspection and quarantine of live groupers from Taiwan after forbidden drugs - leucomalachite green and leuco crystal violet - were found in the imports.

The clearance of live groupers from two fisheries on the island was halted on December 30, 2021, read the notice.

The Chinese mainland imported fish and fish products worth 284.77 million yuan ($42.5 million) from the island of Taiwan in the first four months of 2022, GACC data showed. Total imports of fish and fish products during the period amounted to 33.09 billion yuan, which means the imports from Taiwan only accounted for 0.8 percent of the total.