China’s Fruit Imports Likely To Set New Record in 2021

Recently released data from the General Administration of Customs indicate that China’s agricultural product import volume and value in the first six months of 2021 both manifested substantial growth over the same period of last year. Between January and June, China imported and exported $108.1 billion and $38.39 billion worth of agricultural products, corresponding to year-on-year (YOY) increases of 33.9% and 9.2%, respectively.

Grains were the top-performing import item, with imports in this category totaling 33.88 million tons (+70% YOY) and $9.97 billion (+90% YOY). Other items that exhibited sharp increases in import value included cotton (+79.3% YOY), edible plant oil (+69.9% YOY), sugar (+57.4% YOY), edible oilseeds (+41.9% YOY), fruit (+23.6% YOY), vegetables (+22.2% YOY), aquatic products (+16.8% YOY) and livestock products (+12.4% YOY).

Taking a closer look at the fruit trade, China imported and exported $8.25 billion and $3.25 billion worth of fruit in the first half of 2021, corresponding to YOY increases of 23.6% and 8.7%, respectively. In 2020, China’s fruit imports reached $10.26 billion, thus surpassing $10 billion for the first time in history. On the basis of the strong momentum observed in the first six months of 2021, the import value for the whole year is almost certain to hit a new record high.

The Port of Shenzhen in Guangdong province was China’s top port for fruit imports in the first half of 2021. During this period, the port handled 1.03 million tons or $2.35 billion worth of imported fruit, with both figures ranking first among all ports in China. Major fruit categories passing through the port included fresh cherries, table grapes and oranges.

Image: Pixabay

This article was translated from Chinese. Read the original article.