On September 27, the Commercial Affairs Office of the Chilean Embassy in China, together with the Department of Fruits, Vegetables, Industry and Food of the China Chamber of Commerce of import & Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce & Animal By-Products (CFNA) and the Chilean Food Association (Chilealimentos), held the "online News Conference on the Entry of 14 Chilean Frozen Fruits into the Chinese market".

On December 13, 2021, China and Chile signed the Frozen Fruit Protocol. The number of Chilean frozen fruits approved to enter China has increased dramatically from 3 to 17, a major milestone for Chile's agricultural export sector. Subsequently, on January 27 this year, the General Administration of Customs issued the "Notice on the Inspection and Quarantine Requirements for imported Chilean frozen fruits", allowing the importation of frozen fruits produced in Chile that meet the inspection and quarantine requirements.

Previously, China only allowed 3 kinds of frozen fruits from Chile: frozen strawberries, blackberries and blueberries. With the signing of the new protocol, frozen raspberries, boysenberries, cranberries, apples, avocados, cherries, custard apples, grapes, kiwi, peaches, mangoes, papayas, pineapples, pomegranates, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries can all enter the Chinese market.

Chile has more than 50 years of experience exporting frozen fruit to more than 50 countries, with exports of about US $500 million. Chile is currently the world's third largest exporter of frozen fruit and the fifth largest frozen fruit supplier to China. Compared with other source countries of frozen fruits, Chile has a variety of frozen fruits and has the advantage of zero tariffs.

Chilean exports of 3 frozen fruits reached $19.5 million in 2021 and are expected to increase in the short term as 14 new fruit varieties become available, Lorena Sánchez, director of the International department of ProChile, said at the news conference.

According to the regulations, frozen fruit refers to the fruit that has undergone quick-freezing treatment after removing the inedible peel and core (except cherries) and kept the pulp core at -18°C or below in the whole cold chain link, and meets the requirements of the International Food Standard "Operation Standard for Processing and Handling of Quick-frozen Food" (CAC/RCP 8-1976). In 2021, China imported 133,000 tons of frozen fruit, up 40% year on year; imports totaled $660 million, up 53 percent year on year. The frozen fruits are mainly from Thailand, Egypt, Malaysia, Canada, Chile and other countries.