Booming Imports And Smoother Channels - Peru's Blueberries Usher In The Consumption Peak Season In China

Recently, after on-site inspection by customs officers at Shenzhen Bay Customs, a batch of fresh Peruvian blueberries weighing 11.7 tons swiftly cleared customs at Shenzhen Bay Port and reached Guangzhou Jiangnan Market, the largest fruit distribution center in South China, within two hours. They were then sold across various parts of China. This batch of fresh Peruvian blueberries was declared for import by Shenzhen Shengtai Huanyu Supply Chain Co., Ltd. Manager Yang, the person in charge of customs affairs at the company, said, "November each year is the consumption peak season for imported blueberries. Peruvian blueberries, with their stable production rate and rich flavors, are highly favored by domestic supermarkets and consumers. The amount of Peruvian blueberries we import this quarter is expected to increase by nearly 30% compared to the previous quarter."

Every year when autumn and winter arrive, boxes of blueberries from Peru travel across mountains and seas to reach China. Taking advantage of the seasonal difference in the Southern Hemisphere, Peruvian blueberries are selling like hot cakes in the Chinese market, and China has become the second-largest buyer of Peruvian blueberries. Shenzhen, adjacent to Hong Kong, has advantages such as a mature shipping industry and low freight rates. Most Peruvian fruit enterprises choose to import their products via Hong Kong and then transfer them to Shenzhen. According to statistics, since October when the peak season for Peruvian blueberries' customs clearance began, Shenzhen has imported 0.54 million tons of fresh Peruvian blueberries with a value of 421 million yuan, representing year-on-year growth of 54.3% and 80.6% respectively.

Due to their delicate and perishable nature, blueberries have high requirements for the timeliness of customs clearance. In response, Shenzhen Bay Customs has formulated a customs clearance guarantee plan for the peak fruit season, closely coordinating with shipping schedules and import volumes to allocate manpower, coordinating with the port to increase the allocation of refrigeration equipment, setting up professional inspection stations, avoiding vehicle congestion at the port, and minimizing the customs clearance time to ensure the freshness and safety of the fruits. Besides the southern city of Shenzhen, cities such as Shanghai in East China and Tianjin in North China are also recently ushering in the peak season for importing Peruvian blueberries. Tianjin Port, the largest comprehensive port in northern China, has recently opened three new direct shipping routes to Latin America, covering major ports in the Pacific and Atlantic regions of Latin America. Among them, the route from Tianjin Port to the west coast of South America is known as the "Fruit Express Line". On September 18 this year, the first batch of 11.7 tons of imported Peruvian blueberries arrived at Tianjin Port via this direct shipping route, marking the first time that South American imported blueberries have landed at a northern port in history. During the 31st APEC Economic Leaders' Informal Meeting this year, the Port of Chancay in Peru was officially opened.

Cruise ships laden with fruits such as Peruvian blueberries, grapes, and avocados will sail to China this year along the New Asia-Latin America Sea-Land Corridor in the New Era from Chancay to Shanghai. With the official operation of the Port of Chancay, the transportation time for goods exported from South America to the Asian market will be shortened from more than 30 days to about 20 days, with the direct shipping time significantly reduced and the logistics costs greatly decreased. After the opening of the first direct route to Shanghai, shipments will also be gradually made to other locations in the Asia-Pacific region according to the actual situation and demand. "After the opening of the Port of Chancay, we will send more blueberries of better quality to China. We plan to expand the planting area to meet the demand of the Chinese market," said Federico Maggio, the production and service manager of the Peruvian international fruit and vegetable supplier Gamboxian, in an interview with Chinese media.