Recently, the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX) held a ceremony at a Walmart (Líder) supermarket in Chile to celebrate the launch of Chinese kiwifruit.
This year is the third consecutive year that China has exported kiwifruit to Chile. So far, China has exported 393 tons of red and green kiwifruit to Chile. At the end of 2019, the relevant person in charge of the General Administration of Customs and the Chilean ambassador to China signed cooperation documents such as the "Protocol on Phytosanitary Requirements for Chinese Kiwifruit Exported to Chile", and Chinese kiwifruit officially obtained access to Chile. On September 23, 2020, the first batch of 40 tons of kiwifruit was sent to Chile from Mei County, Shaanxi Province.
The export of Chinese kiwifruit to Chile can make up for the gap in Chile's local summer market. Ronald Bowen, president of the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association, said that this fully demonstrates the friendly relations between Chile and China, the trade reciprocity between the two countries, and the importance of the Chile-China Free Trade Agreement.
Chinese Ambassador to Chile Niu Qingbao said in his speech that China and Chile have very close relations. China is Chile's most important trading partner. The two-way trade in high-quality agricultural products between China and Chile is equal and mutually beneficial, bringing tangible benefits to both sides. The world's annual output of kiwifruit is about 4.35 million tons, and China accounts for half of the world's output with 2.2 million tons. China's annual consumption of kiwifruit is also as high as 2.31 million tons.
Chilean Deputy Minister of Agriculture Pinochet said that in the 2020-2021 export season, Chile exported more than 500,000 tons of fresh fruits to China, and hoped that Chile would also import more agricultural products from China in the future.