EDINBURGH: Scottish wholesalers have taken drastic action in response to the time they claim it takes for mangoes to get through customs at Glasgow airport.
Importers buying thousands of cases of the exotic product told media they are having to wait more than 24 hours for their crates to get customs clearance and are heading to Manchester Airport instead.
The wholesalers told the paper that time is crucial when it comes to the mangoes getting through, as they must get into shops within 48 hours of landing.
Anjam Salim, who runs KRK cash and carry in the west end, imports mangoes every summer and sells them across Scotland.
Collecting a five-ton shipment of around 2,000 boxes of mangoes from Manchester airport on Friday (10 July), he said turnaround time was around three to four hours.
He told media that mangoes have to be in the shops within 48 hours, so time is literally money.
“We live in Scotland, we do our business in Scotland, but we are paying the taxes to England. We need a more efficient system.”
Chaudhry Azam, of Azam International, has been importing mangoes for around 12 years, paying around 45p a box in taxes.
