The Tropical Fruit Industry Cooperation Alliance was launched on March 24 at the Window of World Tropical Fruits in Qionghai, Hainan province, China, as part of efforts to expand market access for tropical fruit.
The initiative follows the launch of island-wide special customs operations in December, which are creating new conditions for agricultural trade. The alliance brings together representatives from industry, academia, and research, with the aim of linking production with sales and expanding into markets in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States.
The alliance plans to use policy measures under the Hainan Free Trade Port, including zero tariffs, to reduce production costs and support value-added processing. It also aims to integrate agriculture with tourism by combining production, lifestyle, and ecological functions.
The launch took place during the 2026 Tropical Fruit Industry Development Conference, held alongside the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference.
At the event, Guangxi Qinguo Agricultural reported that its fruit exports reach Australia, Canada, the United States, and the Middle East. The company noted that Hainan's climate and cultivation practices support higher yields compared to other regions.
Slovak Ambassador to China Milan Lajciak said trade opportunities are expected to increase. "Hainan is very well known in Europe, and we expect that Slovakia can do a lot of business with this beautiful island," he said. "In Europe, we don't grow tropical fruits, but we are very strong consumers of tropical fruits."
According to Qionghai Tropical Crop Service Center director Dai Jun, the Free Trade Port framework supports the sector through customs facilitation for seedlings and tariff exemptions for processing activities.
Qionghai has introduced more than 100 tropical fruit varieties through the Window of World Tropical Fruits. Plans include further cooperation with research institutions and the development of a germplasm resource bank.
The region is also applying production models that link companies, cooperatives, and farmers. Enterprises provide planting material and technical support, cooperatives manage production, and companies secure purchase agreements, reducing risks for growers.
Source: ChinaDaily
