Mexican Blueberries to China, AQSIQ Approved Fruits: June Update

On June 6, The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) updated the list of fruits and regions approved for Chinese import entry. Less than a month after the previous update, this round adds Mexico as the fourth approved region for blueberry import access—joining Chile, Canada and Peru. The AQSIQ website released a list of Mexican enterprises currently registering as blueberry exporters. However, only Berries Paradise, a blueberry producer with operations in Michoacan and Jalisco, has officially completed all the necessary procedures.

China’s blueberry imports amounted to more than 8,700 tons in 2016, of which Chile contributed an impressive 7,000 tons. North Korea, the second largest blueberry (actually the export is sweetberry also under the same HS code of blueberry) exporter to China, accounted for 13.7 percent of blueberry imports. Canada provided a meager 1% of China’s blueberry imports. Mexico is ready to compete and already produces 7.9% of the world’s berries—emerging as the fourth-biggest berry producer in the world. Mexican raspberries and blackberries were granted import access in 2014, but trade volume remains low due to limited demand in China. Regardless, the managing director of Mexico’s national blueberry export association Aneberries, Juan Garcia, expressed high hopes about blueberry exports to China this year. For the remainder of 2017, all blueberry exports will be transported by airfreight. Moreover, Mexico’s blueberry season arrives earlier than in Chile, which may give them a timely competitive edge in the Chinese market.

One after another, Mexican blueberries, Costa Rican pineapples, and Italian citruses have all formally completed procedures for Chinese entry. List items demarked with an asterisk (*) refer to those with import protocols in place, but admittance procedures still incomplete and, as a result, cannot be imported, the following is a summary of the items on the list with an asterisk now:

1. Lao: Water Melons, Bananas
2. Nepal: Citrus (including oranges, tangerines and lemons)
3. Sri Lanka: Bananas
4. Turkey: Cherries
5. Argentina: Grapes
6. Egypt: Grapes
7. New Zealand: Persimmons

The following is the permissible fruit list released by AQSIQ on June 9th, 2017

THAILAND
Tamarind (Tamarindus indica), Sugarapple (Annona squamosa), Papaya (Carica papaya), Carambola (Averrhoa carambola), Guava (Psidium guajava), Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), Rose apple (Syzygium samarangense), Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), Long kong (Lansium parasiticum), Pineapple (Ananas comosus), Sapodilla (Manilkara zapota), Banana (Musa sp.), Passion fruit (Passiflora caerulea), Coconut (Cocos nucifera), Longan (Dimocarpus longan), Durian (Durio zibethinus), Mango (Mangifera indica), Litchi (Litchi chinensis), Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), Citrus [Mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata), Orange (Citrus sinensis), Pomelo (Citrus maxima)]

MALAYSIA
Longan (Dimocarpus longgana), Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), Litchi (Litchi chinensis), Coconut (Cocos nucifera), Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), Pawpaw (Chaenomeles sinensis), Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum)

INDONESIA
Banana (Musa nana), Longan (Dimocarpus longan), Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), Salacca (Salacca zalacca)

PHILIPPINES
Pineapple (Ananas comosus), Banana (Musa sp.), Mango (Mangifera indica), Papaya (Carica papaya)

VIETNAM
Mango (Mangifera Indica), longan (Dimocarpus longan), Banana (Musa sp.), Litchi (Litchi chinensis), Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), Pitaya (Hylocereus undulatus)

MYANMAR
Longan (Dimocarpus longan), Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), Litchi (Litchi chinensis), Mango (Mangifera indica), Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), Melon (Cucumis melo), lndian jujube (Zizyphus mauritiana)
(The final four kinds of fruits can only been imported to China through the port of Daluo, in Ruili, Yunnan)

LAOS
Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus)*, Banana (Musa supientum)*

NEPAL
Citrus [Orange (Citrus sinensis), Mandarin (Citrus reticulata), Lemon (Citrus limon)]*

INDIA
Mango (Mangifera indica), Grape (Vitis vinifera)

PAKISTAN
Mango (Mangifera indica), Citrus [Mandarin (Citrus reticulata), Orange(Citrus sinensis)]

SRI LANKA
Banana (Musa supientum)*

TURKEY
Cherry (Prunus avium)*

ISRAEL
Citrus (on trial import) [Orange (Citrus sinensis), Pomelo(Citrus maxima), Mandarin (Citrus reticulata), Lemon (Citrus limon), Grapefruit (Citrus paradise)]

TAJIKISTAN
Cherry (Prunus avium)

KYRGYZSTAN
Cherry (Prunus avium)

JAPAN
Apple (Malus domestica), Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia)

NORTH KOREA
Sweetberry/honeysuckle (Lonicera caerule L. var. edulis Turcz. ex Herd.), Lingonberry (Vaccinium sp.) (only for processing)

SOUTH KOREA
Grape (Vitis vinifera)

TAIWAN, CHINA
Pineapple (Ananas comosus), Banana (Musa sp.), Coconut (Cocos nucifera), Sugar apple/Sweet sop(Annona squamosa; Annona cherimola × Annonasquamosa; Atemoya), Pawpaw (Chaenomeles sinensis), Papaya (Carica papaya), Fruit of Carambola (Averrhoa carambola), Mango (Mangifera indica), Guava (Psidium guajava), Rose apple (Syzygium samarangense), Betel nut (Areca catechu), Plum (Prunus salicina), Loguat (Eriobotrya japonica), Persimmon (Diospyros kaki), Peach (Prunus persica), Indian jujube (Zizyphus mauritiana), Japanese apricot/Mei (Prunus mume), Pitaya (Hylocereus undulatus, Hylocereus polyrhizus, Hylocereus costaricensis), Melon/Cantaloupe (Cucunmis melo), Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia), Grape (Vitis vinifera., Vitis labrusca and its hybrid species, mainly Kyoho grape Vitis vinifera × Vitis labrusca na Bailey cv. Kyoho), Citrus [Mandarin (Citrus reticulata) and its hybrid species, Pomelo (Citrus maxima), Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), Lemon (Citrus limon), Orange (Citrus sinensis)]

UNITED STATES
Plum (Prunus salicina, Prunus domestica, only from California), Cherry (Prunus avium, only from WA, OR, CA, ID), Grape (Vitis vinifera, only from CA), Apple (Malus domestica), Citrus (Citrus spp., only from CA, FL, AZ, TX), Pear (Pyrus communis, only from CA, WA, OR), Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa, only from CA)

CANADA
Cherry (Prunus avium, only from British Columbia), Blueberry (Vacciniumspp., only from British Columbia)

MEXICO
Avocado (Persea americana Var. Hass), Grape (Vitis vinifera), Blackberry (Rubus ulmifo-lius), Raspberry (Rubus idaeus), Blueberry (Vaccinium spp)

PANAMA
Banana (Musa sp.)

ECUADOR
Banana (Musa sp.), Mango (Mangifera indica)

COLUMBIA
Banana (Musa sp.)

COSTA RICA
Banana (Musa AAA), Pineapple (Ananas comosus)

URUGUAY
Citrus (Citrus sp., except lemons), Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.)

ARGENTINA
Citrus [Orange (Citrus sinensis), Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), Mandarin (Citrus reticulata and its hybrid species)], Apple (Malus domestica), Pear (Pyrus communis), Grape (Vitis vinifera)*

CHILE
Kiwi fruit (Actinidia chinensis, Actinidia deliciosa), Apple (Malus domestica), Grape (Vitis vinifera), Plum (Prunus salicina, Prunus domoestica), Cherry (Prunus avium), Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.), Avocado (Persea americana), Nectarine (Prunus persica var. nectarine)

PERU
Grape (Vitis vinifera), Mango (Mangifera indica), Citrus [Grapefruit (Citrus × paradisii), Mandarin (Citrus reticulate) and its hybrid species, Orange (Citrus sinensis), Key lime (Citrus aurantifolia) and Tahiti lime (Citrus latifolia)], Avocado (Persea americana), Blueberry (Vaccinium spp.)
[Note: Corresponding Eglish names for Key lime and Tahiti lime are provided in the AQSIQ list. They have been added by Produce Report based on the Latin names]

FRANCE
Apple (Malus domestica), Kiwi fruit (Actinidia chinensis, Actinidia deliciosa)

SPAIN
Citrus [Mandarin (Citrus reticulata), Orange (Citrus sinensis), Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), Lemon (Citrus limon)], Peach (Prunus persica), Plum (Prunus salicina, Prunus domoestica)

ITALY
Kiwi fruit (Actinidia chinensis, Actinidia deliciosa), Citrus [Orange (Citrus sinensis cv. Tarocco, cv. Sanguinello, cv. Moro), Lemon (Citrus limon cv. Femminello comune)]

CYPRUS
Citrus [Orange (Citrus sinensis), Lemon (Citrus limon), Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), Mandora (Citrus sinensis × Citrus reticulata)]

BELGIUM
Pear (Pyrus communis)

GREECE
Kiwi fruit (Actinidia chinensis, Actinidia deliciosa)

HOLLAND
Pear (Pyrus communis)

POLAND
Apple (Malus domestica)

SOUTH AFRICA
Citrus [Mandarin (Citrus reticulata), Orange (Citrus sinensis), Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), Lemon (Citrus limon)], Grape (Vitis vinifera), Apple (Malus domestica)

EGYPT
Citrus (Citrus sp.), Grape (Vitis vinifera)*

MOROCCO
Citrus [Orange (Citrus sinensis), Mandarin (Citrus reticulata), Clementine (Citrus clementina), Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi)]

AUSTRALIA
Citrus [Orange(Citrus sinensis), Mandarin (Citrus reticulata), Lemon (Citrus limon), Grapefruit (Citrus paradisi), Lime (Citrus aurantifolia, Citrus latifolia, Citrus limonia), Tangelo (Citrus tangelo), Sweet grapefruit (Citrus grandis × Citrus paradisi)], Mango (Mangifera indica), Apple (Malus domestica, only from Tasmania), Grape (Vitis vinifera), Cherry (Prunus avium), Nectarine (Prunus persica var. nectarine)

NEW ZEALAND
Citrus [Mandarin (Citrus reticulata, Citrus deliciosa, Citrus unshiu), Orange(Citrus sinensis), Lemon (Citrus limon, Citrus meyeri)], Apple (Malus domestica), Cherry (Prunus avium), Grape (Vitis vinifera), Kiwi fruit (Actinidia chinensis, Actinidia deliciosa, Actinidia deliciosa×Actinidia chinensis), Plum (Prunus salicina, Prunus domestica), Pear (Pyrus pyrifolia, Pyrus communis), Japanese apricot/Mei (Prunus mume), Persimmon (Diospyros kaki)*