AQSIQ: China Allowable Imported Fruits (Updated 24 February 2017)

As China’s government continues to prioritize tighter integration with the global trade in agricultural goods, new regions and varieties of imported fresh fruit are regularly gaining market access to the Chinese mainland.

The authoritative list of what fruits from what regions can be imported into China is maintained by the General Administration of Quality Inspection, Supervision and Quarantine (AQSIQ). The agency periodically posts updates to the list on its website. The most recent was posted on February 24, following a previous update on September 18, 2016.

The updated list of permitted fruits is listed in the table below. Newly added compared to the September 17, 2016 list are Peruvian blueberries and Chilean nectarines. Peruvian blueberries have already arrived in China via both air freight and ocean freight, and Chilean nectarines are reported to be on the way soon.

In this update, AQSIQ has continued the practice of including on the list fruits for which phytosanitary protocols have already been signed, but which are not yet allowed to be imported:

• Laos: Watermelons, bananas
• Nepal: Citrus (comprised of oranges, tangerines and lemons)
• Sri Lanka: Bananas
• Turkey: Cherries
• Mexico: Blueberries
• Costa Rica: Pineapples
• Argentina: Grapes
• Italy: Citrus (comprised of oranges and lemons)
• Egypt: Grapes
• New Zealand: Persimmons

The reason that these fruits that cannot be imported to China is that the various countries have not yet successfully completed the process of registering the orchards and packing facilities for each type of fruit with AQSIQ—the final hurdle to gaining full import access.

AQSIQ a maintains a database of registered orchards and packing facilities for each type of fruit in a given region. Only fruits from these orchards and packing facilities are allowed to be exported to China. In order to become registered and maintain registration, national phytosanitary authorities in the country of origin or the producers themselves may be required to provide AQSIQ with supplementary technical or explanatory information. Orchards and packing facilities may also be subject to inspection by AQSIQ teams according to the terms of the relevant phytosanitary protocol.

The AQSIQ permitted fruits list is typically published with the Chinese, English and Latin names of each variety of fruit. The following table copies verbatim the English and Latin names as published by AQSIQ, while omitting the Chinese names. To see the original AQSIQ publication as a Word document, follow the link at the beginning of this article.

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 (Vaccinium spp., 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)*

*Import protocols are in place, but admittance protocals are not yet complete and, therefore, cannot currently by imported.