According to data recently published by the China Chamber of Commerce, during the first quarter of 2020, the Asian country imported more than 1.61 million tons of fruit for a total value of 3.010 billion dollars, reflecting a 12 % year-on-year drop in volume and a 7% increase in value. During that period, China exported approximately 799,000 tons of fruit for $ 1.15 billion, i.e. 9% more volume and 15% more value than in the previous year.
Despite the 12% decrease in the volume imported, the value of Chinese imports increased mainly because of the strong performance of high-value fruits such as cherries and durians.
The fruits that marked the rise in the value of imports
The nine main fruit categories in terms of import value in the first three months of 2020 were:
Fresh cherries (1.190 billion dollars, + 34% year-on-year)
Fresh grapes ($240 million, -13% year-on-year)
Bananas (230 million dollars, -15% year-on-year)
Fresh Durians ($220 million, + 7% year-on-year)
Fresh longans ($ 170 million, -8% year-on-year)
Fresh dragon fruit ($ 165 million, + 77% year-on-year)
Fresh plums ($ 100 million, -27% year-on-year)
Fresh blueberries and cranberries ($ 90 million, + 17% year-on-year)
Fresh peaches and nectarines ($ 800 million, + 30% year-on-year)
It is also worth noting that during the first quarter of 2020 China imported 7,369 tons of kiwi (+ 51% yoy), nearly 79% of which (5,853 tons, + 44% yoy) came from Italy.
The top ten fruit suppliers to mainland China between January and March, in terms of value, were: Chile, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Peru, Australia, Indonesia, Ecuador, Taiwan, and Egypt.
Chinese fruit exports
By value, the top-performing fruit export categories were: other citrus (including Satsuma mandarins; $ 374 million, + 17% year-on-year), fresh apples ($ 312 million, + 21% year-on-year), fresh pears (176 million dollars, + 71%), fresh grapes (53 million dollars, -14% year-on-year), lemons and limes (44 million dollars, + 11% year-on-year) and oranges (26 million dollars, -35% year-on-year). With the exception of grapes and oranges, the value of all these categories grew by more than 10% over the previous year.
The top ten destination markets for Chinese fruit in the first quarter of 2020 by value were: Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Russia, and Japan.
Source: simfruit.cl
