Recently, the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) updated the "List of Fresh Fruit Types and Exporting Countries/Regions Accessible to my country's Inspection and Quarantine" on its official website, adding 5 new types of fresh fruits from 5 countries. In addition, Taiwanese custard apples have also been allowed to resume imports to the mainland.

Pakistani cherry

In early November 2022, China and Pakistan signed a protocol for exporting cherries to China. According to the China-Pakistan Free Trade Agreement, Pakistani cherries that meet the requirements can enjoy zero tariff when exported to China. However, it is difficult for Pakistani cherries to meet the requirements for cold treatment in the protocol (0.56°C or below for 18 days, or 1.11°C or below for 20 days, or 1.67°C or below for 22 days), and the local area also lacks sufficient packaging plants and cold storage facilities.

In late July this year, the General Administration of Customs of China approved a total of 90 cherry orchards and 16 cold storage and packaging plants, allowing Pakistani cherries to be officially exported to China.

Malaysian jackfruit

Malaysian jackfruit was approved by the General Administration of Customs of China on April 11 this year, becoming the third country after Thailand and Vietnam to be allowed to export jackfruit to China. Malaysian jackfruit is mainly grown in Pahang, Negeri Sembilan and Johor, with an output of about 31,300 tons in 2019.

Compared with Thai and Vietnamese jackfruit, Malaysian jackfruit has no obvious advantages in variety and taste, and is inferior to Thailand and Vietnam in terms of planting scale, labor cost, transportation time and cost. Even if it obtains access to the Chinese market, it may be difficult for Malaysian jackfruit to obtain a higher premium in the market.

Uzbekistan lemon

As early as November 2021, the General Administration of Customs of China issued a protocol on phytosanitary requirements for Uzbek lemons exported to China, requiring that lemons exported to China must be produced in pomegranate borer-free production areas jointly approved by both parties, and must undergo preventive sterilization after harvesting. Treat to prevent citrus canker and Pseudomonas syringae pathogenic species.

Uzbekistan is the largest fruit and vegetable producer in Central Asia, exporting to about 60 countries and regions, but the export volume is limited, and the main export destination is Russia. In 2020, Uzbekistan exported approximately 7,100 tons of lemons, with a total value of US$8.6 million.

Uzbekistan has stated that it will make China a priority export destination for fruits and vegetables. As of March 2021, Uzbekistan has approximately 500 companies engaged in exporting to China. The two sides are currently negotiating access to grapes, plums, peaches and persimmons.

Custard apple from Taiwan, China

Due to the detection of quarantine pests such as oceanic mealybugs in custard apples imported from Taiwan to the mainland many times, the General Administration of Customs has suspended the import of custard apples from Taiwan to the mainland since September 20, 2021. Starting from June 20 this year, custard apples from Taiwan have resumed importing to the mainland, with a total of 28 packaging factories and orchards being registered as the first batch.

Citrus from Zimbabwe

The phytosanitary requirements for Zimbabwe's citrus exports to China were officially announced on July 1, 2022, stipulating that all citrus exports to China must adopt cold treatment and pest control measures. In May this year, it was added that "Zimbabwe's fresh citrus exports to China are allowed to undergo cold treatment during transportation through third countries." . In early August, Zimbabwe's Chegutu region began building a new batch of citrus plantations for export to meet the 50,000-ton export quota demand for China.

Dominican avocado

Dominican avocado production is second only to Mexico and is mainly exported to European and American markets. It takes about 15 days to ship to China via the Panama Canal. As early as August 2020, China signed a protocol with the Dominican Republic for the export of fresh avocados to China, but the export has not been successful. Until June this year, two Dominican packaging plants and six orchards obtained customs export codes for the first time. As Dominica is about to enter its peak fruit season, exports to the Chinese market are also expected to be on the agenda.