Cheery cherry trade between China and Chile

A farmer is showing cherries at Finca Chicauma, in Santiago, Chile on December 5, 2019. (Xinhua/Jorge Villegas)

A total of 356,000 tons of cherries were exported from Chile during the 2021-2022 season, with 88 percent of the total going to China, according to iQonsulting, a consultancy based in Chile's capital Santiago.

Jorge Valenzuela, president of Chile's Fedefruta, told Xinhua that Chinese have larger appetite for cherries due to the "cheery culture" in China, where cherries are consumed and sent as holiday gifts.

He added that eyeing on robust Chinese market, industrial insiders are upbeat about cherry's production and export prospect in the next five years.

A major challenge faced with Chilean exporters is how to sell cherries to Chinese consumers with more modern means and ensure product quality through cold-chain logistics.

Despite the global pandemic, bilateral trade between China and Chile remained growth momentum in 2021. China continued to be Chile's top export destination and import source thanks to the upgraded China-Chile free trade agreement (FTA) took effect in 2019.