Despite growth in 2021, China’s fruit imports face growing uncertainties under COVID Despite headwinds facing international fruit trade, China’s fresh fruit import market remains strong. A recently released annual report by China’s Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal By-Products shows that in 2021 China’s fresh fruit imports have increased by 12% in volume and over 30% in value.
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op performing categories include fresh durian, cherries, banana, mangosteen, longan, kiwifruit, table grapes and dragon fruit. Top export countries include Thailand, Chile, Vietnam, the Philippines, New Zealand, Peru, Australia and South Africa.
However, market disruptions continue to exist due to local and regional flare ups of COVID-19, China’s adherence to its ‘Zero Covid policy’ and delays and high prices for international freight. Recently, major wholesale markets closed under outbreaks of the virus in Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Shanghai.
SOUTHEAST ASIA Southeast Asian countries see potential in China’s tropical fruit market, and production and exports to China have grown steadily in the last few years. Some of China’s largest fruit imports in terms of volume and value come from neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia, including
tion, frustrated traders and wasted produce on its long land borders with Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar. There have been on and off border closings with Vietnam and Myanmar, causing trucks to become stranded and fresh freight go to waste. Myanmar transportation companies have witnessed rotten fruit at roadsides, with border clearances decreased from 500 Thailand, Philippines, Myanmar and Viet- trucks a day to 10 trucks a day. A fruit nam. trader commented: “China is becoming more and more strict in quality control, Recent investments under China’s Belt traceability, packaging. Their ‘Zero COVID’ and Road system in infrastructure proj- policy makes it difficult for many fruit and ects across Southeast Asia are provid- vegetable exporters.” ing new transportation routes from the region into China. The China-Laos railway Thai officials recently proposed their Chiwas employed earlier this year to trans- nese counterparts to hold a joint meeting port fresh fruit from Thailand directly with Thailand, China, Laos, and Vietnam into China by rail. Thailand is expected to to reach an agreement on a common proexport 2.2 million tons of fresh produce to tocol to speed up the import and export China in 2022. Thai durian production is of fruits, with direct exports from COVIDexpected to reach 740,000 tons this year, free certified exporters, but with little to an increase of 240,000 tons. China’s is no success so far. also Vietnam’s largest fruit and vegetable export market, accounting for 65-80% of As a result, as fruit and vegetable exports the total turnover of the industry. to China from the region face difficulties. Vietnamese enterprises started to invest Yet recent, and persistent, COVID devel- heavily in systems and processing plants opments have hampered trade between to sell their products in Europe and the US. the region and China. China’s strict border controls under its controversial “zero- SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE TRADE COVID” policy have brought mass conges- Import from Southern Hemisphere mar-
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