China's fruit demand and imports increased in 2014, despite the fact that two of its leading suppliers, Chile and the U.S., recorded lower export volumes.
According to information supplied by China's customs authority to Guojiguoshu.com, Chinese fruit imports increased by 26.2% in terms of value compared to 2013, while the volume grew by 22.8%, reaching 3.3 million tonnes.
In terms of volume, imports were led by Vietnam, with 30% of the total, followed by the Philippines, Thailand and Ecuador, which significantly increased its banana exports to China in 2014. Chile and the United States recorded declines in volumes compared to 2013, mainly due to meteorological factors affecting production. In terms of value, the ranking has changed, with Thailand now in the lead with 1,028 million USD. Thailand is also the main supplier of exotic fruits, followed by Chile, with imports amounting to 776 million dollars, with Vietnam, the Philippines and the United States completing the ranking.
The report highlights that several countries with little market share registered large increases. For Italy, for example, this was due to increased kiwi shipments. Belgium did likewise with its pears, Indonesia with exotic fruits, Canada with cherries and Spain and Israel with their citrus.
Chile leading in value
As for the value of imports per kilo of exported fruit, Chile leads the ranking with $ 4.34 / kilo, followed by New Zealand (3.4) and the U.S. (3.2). In the case of Chile, it is worth noting that it supplies a wide range of fruit, so value is not bound to any particular product. Blueberries, cherries and peaches recorded good prices during 2014.
