“My company imports all kinds of fruits into China. We are based in Guangzhou in the South of the country. From here, we distribute our products to other regions and cities. We have our own sales team that operate in different regions, so we have good control over our sales," says Allen of the import company Guangzhou Shuoqiu Trading.
“We focus on the import of different fruits and citrus varieties. Regarding citrus, we import lemons, grapefruit and navel citrus. I want to work more with South African citrus. South African citrus varieties can do well on the Chinese market. That is why I am looking for new suppliers. I am following production updates on how the drought has impacted the latest citrus crops. In addition, we also import different varieties of pears from South Africa, including the Rosemarie pear.”
Competing import citrus
“Egyptian oranges are not moving quickly on the domestic Chinese market. The main variety that is imported from Egypt is the Valencia orange. Valencia oranges are particularly popular in the Northern parts of the country. However, because the weather is still cold, demand and consumption is not strong yet. The taste of this variety is juicy and sweet. The appearance of its skin is a bit more rough and some of the oranges have pitting problems. This can make them less appealing to some customers.”
“Import from Egypt has been strong this season. The Chinese market has opened up quite recently to Egypt and is attracting many new exporters. There has been some friction. Exporters want to increase the price of their crop in China. Currently, due to big supplies, domestic market prices are under pressure and importers are selling at cost price. Supermarkets are trying to get these Valencia’s, because their sales price is rather cheap. In addition, there are many smaller sizes available, which consumers prefer.”
“Imported oranges from the US are considered a better, more premium product. There are still some American Navel oranges available on the market. They are priced more premium compared to the Egyptian crop: around 100 Yuan for Valencia oranges compared to 280 Yuan for American Lane Late navel oranges. Generally, quality wise, American citrus is comparable to Spanish citrus. The Chinese domestic crop has been of good quality this year. The season lasts longer than in earlier years, as domestic production areas have expanded into the South of China. Production has increased in places like Jiangxi and Yunnan province.”
For more information, contact:
Allen
Guangzhou Shuoqiu Trading
afruitful@163.com
Contact number: +86 1597 0695 010