Chilean cherry industry adapts its strategy to serve an increasingly demanding Chinese consumer

The first edition of the China Cherry Mid-Season Summit, held on January 13 in Guangzhou, was an important milestone for the Chilean cherry sector.

The event served as a meeting point for producers and exporters of the Latin American country and China’s importers, distributors, and retail representatives. Attendees conducted a technical and commercial analysis to better understand the current market, assess performance, and project short- and medium-term challenges.

Among the opening remarks, Yu Lu, Vice President of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce & Animal By-Products (CFNA), emphasized the relevance of the meeting in the middle of a particularly intense campaign.

"This is a very busy season for cherries, with challenges in sales, production, export, and transport throughout the entire chain," she said.

The executive provided figures reflecting cherries’ weight in the Chinese market. According to customs statistics, between January and November 2025, fruit imports to China reached $17.29 billion, a 6.7 percent increase over the same period in 2024.

In this context, the category is consolidating as one of the most relevant imports in the Asian Giant, with Chile as its main supplier, with a 97.82 percent market share between 2015 and 2024.

"Cherries have become a brilliant pearl among imported fruits in China. Their popularity has not decreased, and they have ceased to be an occasional luxury to become a mass-consumption product," the executive said.

The Chilean cherry industry’s strategies

The president of country brand Frutas de Chile, Iván Marambio, highlighted the historical nature of the first edition of the China Cherry Mid-Season Summit.

"In China, cherries are more than a fruit: they are a premium product, linked to celebration, gifting, and consumer trust," he stated.

The executive emphasized the shared responsibility for safeguarding the premium nature of the category, underscoring the crucial role of quality, good appearance, freshness, and providing a comprehensive consumer experience.

Marambio added that the event allowed for reviewing the season's progress and exchanging views on quality and logistics, aligning expectations with an increasingly informed and demanding Chinese consumer.

"Protecting value today is key to strengthening long-term confidence in Chilean cherries," he concluded.

A shifting exporting map for Chilean cherries

During her intervention, the executive director of Frutas de Chile’s Cherry Committee, Claudia Soler, explained that the season started seven to ten days earlier than last year, with a volume 12% lower than initially estimated, with around 110 million boxes.

Logistically, she noted that Chile has exported nearly 29,000 containers of cherries worldwide, of which approximately 25,000 were destined for China.

Although the Asian Giant remains the main market for the Andean industry, its share dropped from 91 percent to 87 percent, while other destinations increased their quota.

"China remains key, but it is a different market: the consumer is more informed, more demanding, and much more sensitive to quality. Volume is no longer enough," Soler stated.

The executive underscored that extraordinary growth has pushed the industry toward more strategic, professional, and coordinated management, and focus on sustainability—not only environmental, but also economic and commercial.

"The challenge is great, but so is the opportunity, and Chile still holds a privileged position in the global cherry industry," she concluded.

The China cherry market

One of the day's deepest analyses was provided by George Liu, Vice President of Kingo Group and founder and CEO of Fruit Cloud.

The executive addressed the structural changes in the industry, whose production has almost tripled over the last five years, generating a new normal marked by high volumes and increasing cost and price pressure.

Liu warned that the increase has not been homogenous across varieties, highlighting the case of Santina, whose growth approached 500% in five years, concentrating a large part of the supply in early windows.

"Early volume is no longer scarce, and in some cases, it is even excessive. Quality problems in early stages often cause price collapse later on," he explained.

The change in the Chinese consumer’s behavior adds an extra layer of difficulty. Shoppers in the country have stopped buying cherries only for gifting and now demand greater precision in calibers, weight, and quality for consumption at home.

"China still accounts for over 90 percent of Chilean cherry exports, but the market has changed. Today, the channel no longer focuses only on price: brand consistency and quality are crucial. We have entered survival mode, and we need to reduce quantity and improve quality," emphasized Liu.

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