Meanwhile, China’s fruit exports over the same period totaled a volume of 1.35 million tons and a value of $1.98 billion, representing year-on-year (YOY) increases of 24% and 25%, respectively.
The top ten fruit categories by import value between January and June were fresh durians ($1.5 billion, +68% YOY), fresh cherries ($1.23 billion, +34% YOY), fresh grapes ($610 million, −2% YOY), bananas ($520 million, −15% YOY), mangosteens ($450 million, −12% YOY), fresh dragon fruit ($360 million, +85% YOY), fresh longans ($200 million, −6% YOY), fresh kiwifruit ($180 million, +0% YOY), oranges ($150 million, −27% YOY) and plums ($140 million, −24%). These ten categories accounted for 84% of the total import value.
Ranked in descending order of value, the top ten exporters of fruit to China in the first half of 2020 were Thailand, Chile, Vietnam, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Peru, Ecuador, Indonesia and Egypt.
Fresh durians
Between January and June, China imported 383,000 tons of fresh durians, corresponding to a 10% YOY increase. The unit price of imported fresh durians during this period stood at $3.98, representing a 59% YOY increase. China’s durian supply is almost entirely dependent on imports. In 2019, durians replaced cherries as the top fruit category imported by China in terms of value.
Fresh cherries
In the first half of 2020, China imported 169,000 tons of fresh cherries, corresponding to a 27% YOY increase. The vast majority of these cherries (165,000 tons, +28% YOY) originated from Chile.
Bananas
In the first six months of 2020, China imported 946,000 tons of bananas (−9% YOY). The main countries of origin were the Philippines (431,000 tons, −24% YOY), Vietnam (197,000 tons, +21% YOY) and Ecuador (192,000 tons, −12% YOY), with imports from these three countries accounting for 87% of total banana imports.
Fresh kiwifruit
China imported 51,000 tons of fresh kiwifruit in the first half of 2020. The main exporters of kiwifruit to China over this period were New Zealand (35,000 tons, +3% YOY), Chile (8,000 tons, −45% YOY), Italy (6,000 tons, +44% YOY) and Greece (1,400 tons, −26%).
Fresh apples
Between January and June, China’s fresh apple imports fell by 32% to 46,000 tons, with an import value totaling $79.81 million (−34% YOY). Over half of this import volume (25,000 tons) originated from New Zealand, corresponding to a 29% YOY decrease. In 2019, owing to a sharp drop in the production of domestically grown apples, China’s imports of apples from New Zealand witnessed a 77% YOY increase. However, as the supply of domestic apples began to recover in late 2019, the market demand for imported apples displayed a clearly waning trend in the first six months of 2020.
EXPORTS
The top seven fruit categories by export value in the first six months of 2020 were fresh apples ($510 million, +21% YOY), citrus (including mandarin oranges and satsuma oranges, $440 million, +30% YOY), fresh pears ($300 million, +88% YOY), lemons and limes ($120 million, +59% YOY), fresh grapes ($90 million, +13% YOY), peaches and nectarines ($70 million, +20% YOY) and oranges ($60 million, +0% YOY). These seven categories accounted for approximately 80% of the total export value.
The top ten markets for China by export value were Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Myanmar, Bangladesh, the U.S. and Japan.
Fresh apples
In the first half of 2020, China exported 400,000 tons of fresh apples, representing a 21% YOY increase. The main export destinations were the Philippines (75,000 tons, +117% YOY), Bangladesh (63,000 tons, +58% YOY), Thailand (47,000 tons, +85% YOY), Vietnam (46,000 tons, +61% YOY) and Indonesia (36,000 tons, −19% YOY). These five countries together accounted for 67% of the total export volume.
Fresh pears
China’s fresh pear exports hit a record high of 519,200 tons in 2017. However, in the following two years, the exports registered a downward trend with the total volume in 2019 standing at 470,200 tons. In the first six months of 2020, China’s pear exports witnessed a strong rebound, with 271,000 tons (+121% YOY) of fresh pears being shipped to overseas markets. The main export destinations were Indonesia (121,000 tons, +183% YOY), Vietnam (41,000 tons, +102% YOY), Thailand (25,000 tons, +91% YOY), Malaysia (19,000 tons, +107% YOY), Hong Kong (15,000 tons, +55% YOY), the Philippines (12,000 tons, +259% YOY) and Myanmar (7,000 tons, +153% YOY). These seven markets together accounted for 89% of the total export volume.
Citrus (including mandarin oranges and satsuma oranges)
Between January and June, China exported 275,000 tons of citrus, corresponding to a 5% YOY increase. The main overseas markets were Vietnam (105,000 tons, +38% YOY), Myanmar (47,000 tons, +73% YOY), Thailand (35,000 tons, +98% YOY), Malaysia (30,000 tons, −30% YOY) and the Philippines (22,000 tons, +232% YOY). These five countries together accounted for 87% of China’s total citrus exports over this period.
China’s General Administration of Customs announced that fresh blueberries from the Republic of Zambia meeting the stipulated phytosanitary requirements are now permissible for import into China.
Zambia is a landlocked country in Southern Africa that features political stability, strong economic growth and rapid development of transportation and infrastructure. Zambia also boasts a high level of urbanization among African countries, with nearly half of the population living in cities.
According to the announcement, only fresh blueberries originating from the Chisamba region of central Zambia will be allowed to enter China. Exports to China may be conducted by either air or sea. However, considering the fact that Zambia is an inland country, most of its exports are shipped to overseas markets by sea from Cape Town in South Africa or Walvis Bay in Namibia.
Cold treatment requirements were also included in the announcement. Fresh Zambian blueberries destined for China must be subjected to cold storage at less than 1.11 degrees Celsius for 15 consecutive days, less than 1.67 degrees Celsius for 17 consecutive days or less than 2.22 degrees Celsius for 21 consecutive days.
Although Zambia lies within the tropics, its climate is relatively cool owing to the high altitude, making the country very agreeable for human settlement and agricultural development. Taking advantage of key strengths such as this favorable climate, fertile land and the third-largest water resource on the African continent, two out of every three people in Zambia live on agriculture. In recent years, the growing trend within the country has been witnessing a gradual shift from crops such as maize, soybeans, rice, wheat, cotton, sugar and tobacco to higher-value items such as macadamia nuts, ground nuts, avocados, blueberries and chilies.
The agricultural potential of Zambia has also attracted global berry giants to extensively invest in the country. For example, OZblu, a world-renowned blueberry brand featuring a range of premium varieties, has selected Zambia as a crucial hub for its commercial production in Africa.
With respect to the bilateral relationship between Zambia and China, the African country attaches great significance to its collaboration with China, which is believed to benefit people on both sides. According to Zambia’s domestic media, in addition to blueberries, China is also very interested in importing lambs from Zambia.
