2022 Year in Review: China’s Apple Market

In 2022, China imported 7.30 million metric tons or $14.53 billion worth of fruit, representing year-on-year increases of 4% and 8%, respectively. Meanwhile, China’s fruit exports over the course of the year totaled 3.26 million metric tons and $4.62 billion, down by 8% and 15%, respectively. Fresh apples were still the most exported fruit item, accounting for 22.51% and 25.25% of China’s total fruit exports by value and volume, respectively.

China’s fresh apple exports dipped to a five-year low in 2022

Despite remaining China’s top fruit export, shipments of fresh Chinese apples witnessed a sharp fall in 2022 owing to a combination of negative factors, including the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lower harvest and decreased stocks. In fact, the apple export volume in 2022 fell to its lowest level in five years.

Data released by China Customs indicate that China’s fresh apple exports in 2022 reached 823,100 metric tons and $1.04 billion, corresponding to year-on-year decreases of 27.24% and 23.67%, respectively. Only March and April saw increases in export volume compared with the same months of the previous year.

The top five overseas markets for Chinese apples in 2022 in terms of export volume were Indonesia (156,000 metric tons), Vietnam (145,000 metric tons), Bangladesh (115,800 metric tons), Thailand (115,200 metric tons) and the Philippines (107,100 metric tons). Exports to these five countries accounted for 77.65% of the total export volume. In the context of the substantial overall drop, exports to these markets all experienced varying degrees of declines, with Bangladesh and the Philippines exhibiting the sharpest decreases of 35.67% and 33.48%, respectively.

China’s apple imports showed clear signs of recovery in 2022

In 2022, China imported 95,500 metric tons or $216 million worth of fresh apples, corresponding to year-on-year increases of 40.44% and 44.00%, respectively. Although the import volume rebounded significantly in 2022, it still lagged far behind the record volume of 125,000 metric tons registered in 2019.

China’s imports of fresh apples saw year-on-year increases in all months of 2022 except for March and April. The increases were the most robust in the five months between May and September.

New Zealand was still China’s largest apple supplier in 2022 with imports reaching 55,600 metric tons, representing a 43.13% year-on-year increase and accounting for 58.22% of China’s total apple imports. South Africa ranked second with a volume of 17,200 metric tons, corresponding to a 40.98% year-on-year increase and an 18.01% share of the total. Imports from Chile, the United States and France all demonstrated an upward trend, showing clear signs of recovery for China’s imported apple market.

Image: Pixabay

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