A new agreement has been signed during the visit of Spanish President Pedro Sánchez to the Asian country. The export of Spanish fruits and vegetables to China requires the negotiation of bilateral protocols, which outline the phytosanitary requirements that must be met for exports to proceed.
According to Revista Mercados, and as supported by Frutas de Chile, the signing of this protocol will expedite the fulfillment of the requirements imposed by China. In this context, interested exporters will soon need to register with a special registry established by the Ministry of Agriculture and also pass a compliance audit, as stated by FEPEX.
Currently, the Chinese market is open for the export of stone fruits (such as peaches, plums, and nectarines), grapes, citrus fruits, persimmons, and almonds from Spain.
FEPEX believes that the signing of the cherry export protocol to China will open up new opportunities for this fruit, which has seen significant growth, particularly in Aragon, with a primary goal of diversifying export destinations.
In 2024, Spain exported 39,968 tons of cherries, with 33,440 tons going to the European Union and 6,528 tons to non-EU countries. The United Kingdom was the largest non-EU market, receiving 5,725 tons, followed by South Africa with 100 tons and Hong Kong with 103 tons. The total value of cherry exports reached 139 million euros, of which 110 million euros were directed to the EU.
According to data from the Department of Customs and Special Taxes processed by FEPEX, Spanish exports of fresh fruits and vegetables to China in 2024 amounted to only 3,871 tons, representing just 0.03% of the total exported by Spain last year, which totaled 12.3 million tons. The value of these horticultural exports to China was 6.8 million euros.
