Interfel, the French inter-branch of fresh fruits and vegetables, will participate in the Fruit Logistica in China next week. The organisation will present five French companies: Blue Whale (apple and kiwi), Cardell Export (apples), Condifrance (garlic, onion and shallot), Primland (kiwis) and Apple Bird (apples). Daniel Soares from Interfel: "At the moment, only these products have access to the Chinese market. I hope that in the future, it will be easier to import products into China, but it’s a long term job. In order to export, EU Member States must negotiate on product and country protocols to agree on market access requirements for plant health for export to China. This "closed" Chinese system involves a costly and timely procedure, with a prior inspection of facilities and orchards, as well as case-by-case negotiations.”
Products from EU Member States which can already be exported to China are, for example, citrus fruit, plums and peaches from Spain, kiwis from France, Greece and Italy for the authorized produce, pears from Belgium and the Netherlands, apples from France and Poland and citrus fruits from Cyprus. Daniel: "Today, only a very limited number of protocols are in place for the EU Member States. Yet the potential exists. For example, the United States exports more than 80,000 tons. The current uncertainty created by US steel measures and Chinese retaliation on the US agricultural sector may be opportunities for export growth."
"China is a growing market for European fruits and vegetables. Since 2010, exports have grown steadily, reaching 15,000 tons in 2013 and 25,000 tons in 2014; with 2015 as the lowest point, while remaining at 22,746 tons. This upward trend has continued over the last two years: in 2016, exports increased by more than 60% in volume (37 000 tons) and by almost 50% in value compared to 2015. France is one of the countries which developed their exports to this destination."
The Interfel stand at the China Fruit Logistica
"The Fruit Logistica show in China will consolidate some of the professional contacts, as well as discover new ones. In addition to the show, we organised events together with other interbranches for the meat sector, dairy products, wines, seeds, cereals and other various events, such as a French soiree and a technical seminar in Beijing on the sanitary and phytosanitary quality of the French supply."
For more information: 
Interfel
Daniel Soares