Chile doubles number of 'Cherry Express' vessels

With strong China-Chile trade ties and an advanced cold chain system, more and more high-quality cherries are being exported to China, boosting bilateral trade and diversifying consumers' fruit bowls.

The latest Chilean cherry season started on Friday, marked by the arrival of the season's first Cherry Express vessel at Guangzhou's Nansha Port, Guangdong province, carrying approximately 370 containers of fresh cherries. With Chile entering its peak harvest, more Cherry Express vessels will reach major Chinese ports in the coming weeks, supplying the country with fresh, safe and high-quality cherries.

Data from ProChile, a trade promotion organization at Chile's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, show that in 2024, Chile exported a total of $3.09 billion worth of cherries, among which over 90 percent were exported to China. Driven by strong consumer demand, Chile has now become China's second-largest source of fresh fruit imports.

Chile's Ambassador to China, Pablo Arriaran, said: "The 'Cherry Express' is not only an efficient trade channel, but also a symbol of the deep friendship between our countries. Chile looks forward to further strengthening cooperation with China and bringing more natural, healthy, high-quality fruits to Chinese consumers."

Ivan Marambio, president of Frutas de Chile, added: "This season, direct Cherry Express vessels to China have increased to 32 — twice as many as last year. Supported by efficient logistics, Chilean cherries travel 20,000 kilometers in 23 days, arriving in China with excellent freshness to meet winter demand for premium fruit."

Charif Christian Carvajal, marketing director for Europe and Asia at Frutas de Chile, said that cherries are rich in potassium, magnesium and anthocyanins. Therefore, apart from holiday seasons, consumers eat cherries as part of daily life, whether it be in the office, before lunch, or on the way to the gym.

"Cherries are also connected with winter sports, as the season for cherries is also the season for winter sports. Therefore, we created 'Cherry winter season' to promote the consumption of cherries," he said.

He noted that apart from the Cherry Express vessel in Guangzhou, there are Cherry Express vessels to other cities, such as Shanghai and Tianjin.

"Every season, we have more and more Cherry Express vessels, which can deliver the freshest cherries to China and other logistics hubs. Improving logistics efficiency is a key strategy for the fruit industry. In recent years, the arrival of Chilean cherries at ports has become more diversified, and the improvement of China's cold chain logistics has also supported the entry of Chilean cherries into more and more second- and third-tier cities," he said.

He noted that to ensure Chile exports fresh fruit to China more efficiently, Frutas de Chile has put in place a lot of measures. For example, it has expanded the list of ports that import cherries, including Dalian, Qingdao, and other ports, to cut the transportation time from orchards to dining tables. It is also actively improving its online and offline retail system, to enhance the consumer experience. Finally, it is investing heavily in cold chain and orchard management, to ensure quality.

"Whether it's at the orchard level, packaging factory level, or pre-cooling technologies and machines, we invest millions of dollars. Chinese consumers are important, and they have high requirements on quality. To satisfy their demand for high quality, we must offer them the best products," Christian said.

Yuan Shuai, deputy head of the investment department at the China City Development Academy, said: "In order to promote better development of cherry trade between the two countries in the future, in terms of trade policies both sides should further optimize Customs clearance procedures, reduce trade barriers, lower trade costs, improve trade facilitation levels and create a favorable policy environment for cherries to enter each other's markets quickly and smoothly. In terms of logistics transportation, it is suggested to continue to improve logistics systems such as the Cherry Express vessel, enhance transportation efficiency and stability, explore more advanced preservation technologies and ensure that the quality of cherries is not damaged during long-distance transportation.

"At the market promotion level, both parties can strengthen cooperation and enhance the brand awareness and reputation of Chilean cherries in the Chinese market through various forms such as holding cherry culture festivals and online marketing activities. At the same time, China can also share domestic consumer market trends and demand changes with Chile, helping Chile adjust its planting and export strategies according to market demand," he said.

zhengyiran@chinadaily.com.cn