Emerging developments in China’s fruit and vegetable trade indicate that
foreign producers could see increased competition from the world’s largest
producer. During 1999-2001, China ranked eighth in world exports of fruits
and vegetables (including pulses and tree nuts) and reached more than six
times the level of its imports.
But as the world’s largest consumer of fruits and vegetables, with a growing
appetite for high-quality produce, China is also an expanding import market
(mostly fresh fruits and, to a lesser extent, processed products). The value of
China’s produce imports increased sevenfold between 1992 and 2001,
making it one of the world’s fastest growing import markets.1
A clear distinction can be made between trade in fruits and in vegetables.
China is a large net exporter of fresh and processed vegetables. In contrast,
the country imports more fruit than it exports. China’s overall trade value
and volume have been increasing in the last decade, and recent investment
in the sector has resulted in competitive products and points toward a
greater presence for China in global markets (Shields and Tuan, 2001).
Trade flows, as well as shifts in supplier shares in China and third-country
markets, provide an indication of how China’s fruit and vegetable trade will
help shape global trade and financial prospects for producers and traders
around the world.