A forum called “New Opportunities for China’s Fruit Industry Under the Implementation of RCEP agreement” was hold on May 25, 2022. On the forum, Zhang Juan, a researcher from Shanghai University of International Business and Economics shared her insights into the impacts of RCEP agreement* on China’s imported fruit industry.
*Notes: RCEP agreement is short for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement, which has been signed among 15 countries, namely, 10 ASEAN members, together with China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. As per the ASEAN Secretariat, the Agreement entered into effect among the first batch of countries on Jan 1, 2022. |
Overview of China’s Fruit Import from RCEP Member Countries
From 2017 to 2021, the total import value of fruits in China increased from 5.96 billion US dollars to 13.9 billion dollars with a YoY growth rate of 23.6%. In terms of the value of fruits imported from RCEP members, it increased from 3.48 billion US dollars in 2017 to 9.87 billion US dollars in 2021. In another word, 71% of the fruits imported to China was from RCEP member countries in 2021, which could explain how important RCEP member countries are to China’s fruit industry.
Performance of RCEP Member Countries Among China’s Top 20 Imported Fruits
In 2021, the import value of the top 20 fruit categories accounted for 93% of the total fruit imports in China. The top 10 fruit categories took over 82% of the total fruit imports, among which “08106000 fresh durian” and “08092900 other fresh cherries” summed up 44% of the total import value.
Zhang Juan explained that the import value of fruits listed in top 10 all exceeded 450 million US dollars. The import value of fresh durian (top 1) reached 4 billion US dollar. The import value of fruits listed from top 11 to 20 was within the range from 100 to around 260 million US dollars.
Top 20 imported fruit, by import value (from the most to the least)
No. | HS Code | Commodity name |
1 | 08106000 | Fresh durians |
2 | 08092900 | Other fresh cherries |
3 | 08039000 | Other bananas, fresh or dried, excluding plantains |
4 | 08045030 | Mangosteens, fresh or dried |
5 | 08109030 | Fresh longan |
6 | 08119090 | Other fruits & nuts, frozen, not elsewhere specified (n.e.s.) |
7 | 08105000 | Fresh kiwifruit |
8 | 08061000 | Fresh grapes |
9 | 08109080 | Fresh dragon fruit |
10 | 08011200 | Coconuts in the inner shell (endocarp) |
11 | 08051000 | Oranges, fresh or dried |
12 | 08104000 | Fresh Cranberries, bilberries and other fruits of genus Vaccinium |
13 | 08134010 | Longans and longan pulps, dried |
14 | 08094000 | Fresh Plums and sloes |
15 | 08081000 | Apples, fresh |
16 | 08043000 | Pineapples, fresh or dried |
17 | 08054000 | Grapefruit and pomelos, fresh or dried |
18 | 08109090 | Fresh fruits, n.e.s. |
19 | 20089990 | Prepared/preserved fruits & nuts & other edible part of plants, n.e.s. |
20 | 08044000 | Avocados, fresh or dried |
Speaking of RCEP member countries’ fruit import performance, these countries have significant advantages in exporting the top 10 fruit categories, excluding “08092900 other fresh cherries, to China due to the rich natural resource, etc. For example, Thailand has the advantage in exporting fresh durian, fresh longan, etc. to China. While, Vietnam has the advantage in dragon fruit. View the attachment attached in the end of this article for detailed performance of RCEP member countries in the top 10 fruit categories.
Country | Fruit category with advantages in exportation |
Thailand | 08106000 fresh durians 08045030 mangosteens, fresh or dried 08109030 fresh longan 08119090 other fruits & nuts, frozen, n.e.s. 08011200 coconuts in the inner shell (endocarp) |
Vietnam | 08109080 fresh dragon fruit |
Malaysia | 08119090 other fruits & nuts, frozen, n.e.s. |
Indonesia | 08045030 mangosteens, fresh or dried 08011200 coconuts in the inner shell (endocarp) |
Almost all ASEAN countries | 08039000 other bananas, fresh or dried, excluding plantains 08011200 coconuts in the inner shell (endocarp) |
New Zealand | 08092900 other fresh cherries 08105000 fresh kiwifruit |
Australia | 08092900 other fresh cherries 08061000 fresh grape |
South Korea | 08061000 fresh grape |
Forecast
Zhang Juan assumes the implementation of RCEP agreement is assumed to boost the fruit imports from these member countries by tariff reduction and customs clearance facilitation. In the future, the price of imported fruit will be cheaper, which will be an impact to China’s domestic fruit industry. Chinese consumers will see more varieties and more foreign brands on the market.
Attachment: Performance of RCEP member countries in China’s top 10 imported fruit categories (marked in red) (unit: million US dollar)
Notes: The actual date may vary sightly due to rounding.
Top 1: fresh durians (08106000)
2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
Thailand | 552 | 1,095 | 1,604 | 2,305 | 4,205 |
Vietnam | / | / | / | / | 0.287 |
Total | 552 | 1,095 | 1,604 | 2,305 | 4,205 |
Top 2: other fresh cherries (08092900)
Year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
Chile | 545 | 1,127 | 1,232 | 1,526 | 1,877 |
US | 171 | 101 | 88.7 | 80.6 | 66 |
Canada | 26 | 39.6 | 36.8 | 15.7 | 17 |
Argentina | / | / | 1.7 | 16.8 | 15 |
New Zealand | 22 | 18 | 13.9 | 9 | 10 |
Australia | 6 | 19 | 17.6 | 17.5 | 8 |
Uzbekistan | / | 0.6 | 3.8 | 0.5 | 0.07 |
Kyrghizstan | 0.24 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.05 |
Tajikistan | 0.27 | 0.26 | 0.5 | / | |
Turkey | 0.009 | 0.055 | 4 | 6.9 | / |
Total | 771 | 1,306 | 1,400 | 1,674 | 1,993 |
Top 3: other bananas, fresh or dried, excluding plantains (08039000)
Year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
Philippines | 410 | 601 | 587 | 452 | 489 |
Cambodia | / | / | 8 | 122 | 203 |
Vietnam | 24 | 68 | 121 | 116 | 160 |
Ecuador | 99 | 150 | 298 | 208 | 137 |
Laos | 0.027 | 0.02 | 4 | 35 | 39 |
Thailand | 22 | 27 | 16 | 11 | 9 |
Myanmar | 19 | 36 | 30 | 4 | 1 |
Indonesia | 2.5 | 9.8 | 7 | 0.6 | 0.18 |
Costa Rica | 0.88 | 4.6 | 11 | 0.5 | 0.16 |
Colombia | 0.2 | 0.9 | 13 | 3 | 0.07 |
The rest | 0.03 | 0.08 | 0.05 | 0.34 | 0.012 |
Total | 579 | 897 | 1,094 | 952 | 1,040 |
Top 4: mangosteens, fresh or dried (08045030)
Year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
Thailand | 146.3 | 321 | 736 | 585.2 | 698.9 |
Indonesia | / | 21 | 49 | 85 | 69.5 |
Malaysia | 0.76 | 7 | 10 | 7.5 | 0.6 |
Vietnam | / | / | / | 0.06 | / |
Total | 147 | 349 | 795 | 677.8 | 769 |
Top 5: fresh longan (08109030)
Year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
Thailand | 248.6 | 177.6 | 353.9 | 488.6 | 705.1 |
Vietnam | 189 | 188 | 71 | 3 | 0.5 |
Laos | 0.1 | / | / | / | / |
Total | 437.7 | 365.6 | 424.9 | 491.6 | 705.6 |
Top 6: other fruits & nuts, frozen, not elsewhere specified (n.e.s.) (08119090)
The countries listed are top 10 countries in 2021 in descending order.
Year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
Thailand | 50 | 103 | 170 | 201 | 329.6 |
Malaysia | 18.5 | 41 | 67 | 99 | 186 |
Canada | 9 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 23 |
Sweden | 21 | 18 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Chile | 10 | 11 | 12 | 8.6 | 7.5 |
Vietnam | 0.6 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 11 | 6.5 |
Latvia | 5 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 |
Ukraine | 1.6 | 2.8 | 9.5 | 13 | 4 |
Poland | 1.3 | 2 | 3 | 1.6 | 3 |
Belarus | 0.055 | 0.11 | 0.7 | 4.7 | 2 |
The rest | 13 | 14.6 | 10 | 8.7 | 8.4 |
Total | 130 | 213 | 310 | 385.6 | 589 |
Top 7: fresh kiwifruit (08105000)
Year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
New Zealand | 296 | 358 | 392 | 407 | 516 |
Italy | 31 | 20 | 24.4 | 27 | 24 |
Chile | 30.6 | 26 | 33.7 | 16 | 9 |
Greece | 3 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3 | 1 |
France | 3.6 | 3 | 0.9 | / | / |
Total | 364 | 411 | 455 | 453 | 550 |
Top 8: fresh grapes (08061000)
Year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
Chile | 222 | 268 | 248 | 260 | 182 |
Australia | 130 | 140 | 181 | 185 | 161 |
Peru | 134 | 113 | 159 | 143 | 143 |
South Africa | 45 | 25.5 | 27 | 27 | 27 |
India | 6.7 | 5 | 13 | 10 | 10 |
South Korea | 0.088 | 1.3 | 4 | 7.4 | 9 |
US | 52 | 32.5 | 6 | 9 | 4 |
New Zealand | 0.0002 | / | / | / | 0.001 |
Spain | / | / | 0.036 | 0.16 | 0.17 |
Egypt | 0.1 | 1.3 | 4 | 0.4 | 0.00014 |
Mexico | 0.04 | / | 0.2 | 0.26 | / |
Taiwan, China | 0.008 | / | 0.014 | 0.00055 | / |
Total | 590 | 586 | 644 | 643 | 535 |
Top 9: fresh dragon fruit (08109080)
Year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
Vietnam | 389 | 396 | 361.7 | 553 | 526.7 |
Taiwan, China | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.08 |
Peru | / | 0.0004 | / | / | / |
Total | 389 | 396 | 362 | 553 | 527 |
Top 10: coconuts in the inner shell (endocarp) (08011200)
Year | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
Thailand | 62 | 129 | 201 | 190 | 284 |
Indonesia | 80 | 49 | 33 | 70 | 117 |
Vietnam | 15 | 22 | 48 | 29 | 42 |
Philippines | 6 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 9 |
Malaysia | 0.05 | 0.06 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.1 |
Sri Lanka | 0.009 | / | 0.007 | / | / |
India | 2.6 | / | / | / | / |
Myanmar | 0.06 | / | / | / | / |
Total | 166 | 203 | 286 | 295 | 452 |
Data Source: China’s GACC data query platform.