The Peruvian blueberry season is almost over. Jiaxing Market still has a few new containers with Peruvian blueberries for sale, but the overall supply volume is not big. Sea-freight Chilean blueberries are about to take over from the Peruvian blueberries. The Chilean blueberries will enter the Chinese market in the second half of December.
The market has been depressed for months, but recently warmed up a little. There are only a few containers of Peruvian blueberries left. The product quality is not bad, and so the price slightly improved. The price of good-quality blueberries is currently around 90 yuan [14.12 USD] per box of 1.5 kg, but the price of common-quality blueberries is less than 80 yuan [12.55 USD] per box. Since market demand is growing, Shanghai Huizhan Market transferred some of the blueberry containers to Jiaxing Market in Zhejiang.
Chilean blueberries will arrive in the second half of December and take over from Peruvian blueberries. "The price of Peruvian blueberries still shows a rising trend, but there is half a month left before the Chilean blueberries arrive. It is still too early to predict the price of Chilean blueberries. However, the market prospects look good, as long as there are no traces of Covid-19 on the fruit packaging and customs procedures remain unchanged." That is according to one trader in Jiaxing Market.
As for distribution, importers still struggle with backlogs in ports and slow customs procedures. Some importers have their cargo shipped to various ports to avoid backlogs and pileups.
"Many suppliers are careful to consider the risks of international trade in the light of rising shipping costs as well as the rising price of blueberries. They have very high requirements for importers interested in cooperation to make sure they reduce the risks. Importers are similarly concerned with the impact of uncertain shipping times and delays at customs on the quality of their products, because the product quality will affect the price. That is why importers are unwilling to order large volumes. There is a lot of pressure on small-scale traders who ordered without paying attention to these factors."
Some of the importers are unwilling to take those risks, but the larger importers see opportunities in this market. According to one importer at Jiaxing Market: "Brands that have strong ties with production areas, a good name in the domestic market, and long-term cooperation with domestic retailers, can take advantage of these market conditions. They are better able to respond to market developments and have a competitive advantage over smaller importers. We sell to supermarkets, e-commerce platforms, and buyer groups, but we also distribute for retail in Jiaxing Wholesale Market and nearby markets. This is an advantage for us. Our return rates on blueberries are great, as is our market feedback."