MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Chile launches “Cherry Express” to China season

Cherry production accounts for 30% of jobs in Chile's fruit sector

Chile has officially begun its 2025-2026 fresh cherry export season by sea, with the first dedicated “Cherry Express” ships sailing directly from the Port of San Antonio to China this week. The season is heavily reliant on the Asian market, which purchases approximately 93% of all Chilean cherry exports.

Cherries are Chile's most exported agricultural product and the second most exported product overall, trailing only copper. The industry has scheduled 32 nonstop “Cherry Express” services to China this season, double the 16 services offered last year.

The fast-ship strategy has reduced the average travel time to China from 30 days to 23, making it a “cornerstone” of the logistics chain, Frutas de Chile President Iván Marambio noted this week.

“We are promoting 29 cities in China, mainly in the interior, and what we are doing is launching a new promotion called 'Ice and Snow Festival' which takes place in the first weeks of January,” Marambio said. He also explained that this activity combines the ice and snow sculptures in China's winter with the red fruit. Additionally, the Chilean industry will focus on the Chinese New Year celebrations on February 17, when cherries become a popular gift among family and friends.

“Chilean cherries are very popular in China, which is a huge market, and the appetite for high-quality Chilean cherries is limitless,” Chinese Ambassador to Chile Niu Qingbao told local media. “Cherries are a very important product in the trade relationship between Chile and China,” he added.

“Each cherry season is a large-scale logistical challenge. Coordination between the different players in the chain is key to maintaining the sector's competitiveness and continuing to position Chile as a leader in fruit exports,” Chilean Fruit Cherry Committee Executive Director Claudia Soler also pointed out.

Frutas de Chile projected that the season would see 131 million boxes of cherries exported worldwide, equivalent to 655,000 tons. Cherry exports have grown by 25% annually in volume over the last decade, with production accounting for 30% of employment (200,000 direct jobs) in the country's fruit sector.