With the arrival of 20,000 tons of Chilean cherries in China, the prices of cherries, the top imported fruit in mainland China during the winter, have seen a significant decrease, even dropping by up to 80%. It is expected that over 20,000 tons of cherries will be imported around the time of the Chinese New Year.
According to a report by CCTV News on January 13, on January 11, an international cargo ship carrying over 2,000 tons of Chilean cherries across more than 1,000 containers slowly docked at the Nansha Port in Guangzhou. This batch of Chilean cherries is the largest single import through the Nansha Port since the start of the 2024-2025 cherry season.
As reported by the Hai’bao News, the head of a foreign trade company stated that nearly 60% of the cherries will be sold locally in Guangzhou, with the rest being distributed to other cities across China such as Dongguan, Shanghai, and Beijing. With the increasing volume of cherry imports, prices have become more affordable.
Throughout the entire Chilean cherry season, it is expected that about 12 cherry-direct fast ships will dock at the Nansha Port in Guangzhou, importing approximately 100,000 containers and 170,000 tons of cherries, making up about 40% of the total cherry imports in China. For three consecutive years, the Nansha Port is set to become the largest cherry import port in the country.
Currently, over 92% of Chilean cherry production is exported to China.
According to a previous report by the Qianjiang Evening News, an employee at a fruit store in Hangzhou mentioned that since the cherries first hit the market, prices have been steadily falling. Initially priced at around 1,200-1,500 yuan per 5 kilograms, the current price is around 220-230 yuan per 5 kilograms, representing an 80% decrease.
The wholesale prices of cherries in Hangzhou have generally shown a downward trend over the past fifteen days.
With the declining prices, cherries are prominently displayed in major supermarkets and fruit stores, with most sellers offering discounted prices.
It has been reported that this year’s Chilean cherry harvest is expected to be a bumper crop, with an estimated overall production increase of 40%-50% compared to last year. Moreover, without the presence of El Niño this year, the quality of cherries has improved compared to last year, and the average selling price is expected to be lower. The Chilean Fruit Exporters Association previously predicted that the 2024-2025 season would see record production levels for Chilean cherries, with exports expected to increase by 50% compared to the previous season, reaching approximately 1.245 billion boxes (5 kilograms per box), totaling about 620,000 tons in global export volume.
In addition to the impact of production levels, many businesses are launching promotional activities to coincide with the New Year celebrations. “Approaching the New Year, we will take advantage of the holiday season to offer discounts,” said the owner of a chain fruit store in Changsha. With fewer high-end fruits available in the winter, customers, whether for gifting or personal consumption, tend to choose cherries, and with various store discounts and promotions, cherry prices are currently at their lowest in recent years.