The coronavirus has been found on three packages of frozen shrimp imported from Ecuador on July 3, said China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) at a press conference on Friday.

The GAC noted that the nucleic acid tests on the shrimp bodies and inner packages showed negative results.

On the same day, the GAC announced to suspend the imports from three Ecuadorian companies due to the risk of the novel coronavirus.

Three companies include "Industrial Pesquera Santa Priscila S.A., Empacreci S.A., and Empacadora Del Pacifico Sociedad Anonima Edpacif S.A.", GAC said in a statement on its official website, adding that the coronavirus was found on the outer packaging of their goods.

Meanwhile, the shrimps produced by these companies after March 12 to be recalled or destroyed.

To prevent the risk of the COVID-19 epidemic through imported cold chain foods into the country, the Chinese customs conducted the coronavirus detection works on the imports of cold chain products.

According to the statistics from China's Aquatic Products Processing and Marketing Alliance, nearly 30,000 tons of shrimp were exported from Ecuador to China during March this year.

(Source: CGTN)