For much of the past decade, cherry exports from Chile to China followed a narrow marketing window linked closely to the Chinese New Year. Harvested in Chile's central valleys from December onward, cherries traditionally arrive in China shortly before the holiday, with pricing and volumes concentrated around that short period.
This pattern is changing. In early 2026, more than a month before the Chinese New Year, Chilean cherries were already widely available across China at lower price levels than in previous seasons. In major supermarkets in Chengdu, boxes of JJ-grade cherries sized 28 to 30 millimetres and weighing about 2.5 kilograms were selling for around US$22.7, with promotional prices dropping to about US$14.1, roughly 40 per cent lower than a year earlier. Wholesale market prices declined further, with some high-grade fruit trading at nearly half of last season's levels.
Market participants attribute these movements not to weaker demand but to changes in supply timing. Improved logistics have reduced the need for exporters to concentrate shipments into a short pre-holiday window. As a result, volumes are spread more evenly across the season.
Structural drivers underpin this shift. The upgraded China–Chile free trade agreement implemented in 2017 placed more than 97 per cent of traded products under zero tariffs, reducing entry costs for Chilean cherries. Over time, this encouraged investment in logistics systems capable of delivering higher volumes with greater predictability.
China has become the dominant destination for Chilean cherries. In the previous season, more than 90 per cent of Chile's cherry exports were shipped to China. This concentration has allowed growers and exporters to organise production and shipping schedules across the full harvest period rather than around a single demand peak.
According to Claudia Soler, executive director of the Cherries Committee of Fruits from Chile, China enabled the industry's expansion and has also become culturally linked to cherry consumption. She noted the alignment between the fruit's characteristics and Chinese New Year gifting traditions.
Logistics improvements have supported this evolution. Since 2018, the "cherry express" shipping route has reduced transit times from around 30 days to about 23 days. By the end of 2025, the number of direct sailings had doubled compared with the previous year, enabling earlier and more evenly distributed arrivals.
These developments have influenced production decisions. Data from Chile's Ministry of Agriculture show cherry planting area expanded from about 38,392 hectares in 2019 to 70,686 hectares by 2024. For the 2025/26 season, exports are estimated at around 110 million boxes of five kilograms, equivalent to roughly 550,000 metric tons, with more than 90 per cent destined for China.
Source: ChinaDaily
