MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile becomes the leading exporter of cherry and dried plums to China

How do you say thanks for the cherries in Mandarin

Chilean fruit exports to China have experienced a great increase in recent years having jumped 35% in 2011 (over 2010), with a value of 438 million dollars, according to statistics provided to the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture, which place Chile as one of the main fruit providers from the southern hemisphere.

According to information provided by ProChile, during 2011, 75% of China's cherry imports were supplied by Chile. The country was also China's main provider of dried plums, with 72% of the total imported by this Asian nation.

Chile also led the supply of table grapes, with 58%, and apples, with 54% of the total. This way, China gradually takes over from the US as main destination market for Chilean fruit, and in the case of cherries, they have already become their main destination.

Overall, bilateral trade between Chile and China has increased from 24.7 billion dollars in 2010 to 29bn in 2011, according to Chinese statistics. During the first semester of 2012, trade between China and Chile has increased by 14.8%, reaching a value of 14.7bn.