Fruit Trade Projected to Boom at China Ports

On 9 December the first ship of sea-freighted Chilean cherries arrived Jiangnan market, Guangzhou with 145 containers and one day later 130 containers arrived in Shanghai. The fast vessels took some 23 days to from Chile to Hong Kong or Southern China and freight costs are some USD 13,000 per 40’ container.

There are mixed signals about current market demand with some estimates seeing Chile shipping 20000 containers of cherries this season, whilst some traders are expecting a slower market overall. However, what is undoubtedly true is that Chinese Ports have great confidence, that once this COVID wave has passed, that the Chinese will continue boosting international trade in fruit.

It is striking to note the current rapid clearance of these cherries at China Customs and the increasing competition amongst China’s Southern ports to attract new fruit import and export business. This may give a pointer to easier shipping and clearance for Australian sea freighted fruit, though Chile is largely a non-Protocol country.

Below is the new competition between three Southern China ports, for the Chilean cherry business, as reported in the Chinese Fruit Press. They all claim rapid clearance of fruit

Shenzhen Da Chan Wan Port, a new port in Shenzhen, at the mouth of the Pearl River. The first Chilean cherry vessel arrival at this port, with cherries shipped by barge to the port from Hong Kong in as little as 4 hours. Cherries were released to Jiangnan wholesale market within one hour of arrival.

Nansha Port, 150Km North of Shenzhen, is also improving efficiency to attract more fruit business. It will receive 10 Chile Cherry vessels. The port is building a new International Logistics Centre with cold chain warehouses of 54000 sqms and said to be able to handle 162 reefer containers simultaneously and move 10,000 per month. It claims it can clear fruit within 2 hours and then be deliver to local markets and nationally.

Yantian Port, 20Km from Shenzhen, received Chilean fruit (via HK) on 11 December and claims to have finished clearance within 30 minutes, using advance clearance while the fruit is transferred to Yantian from Hong Kong. It is reported that Yantian Port saw an increase of 600% in Year to November 2022 fruit imports over the same period in 2021. Yantian now has over 4000 cold container sockets and also six cold warehouses with capacity to hold 200000 tons. Approximately nine Chilean Cherry Express vessels will arrive in Yiantian before Chinese New Year.

Source: International Fruit Expo, Asia Fruit, Fresh Plaza