Trade access brief
South African stone fruit and cherries to China: what is approved, what is pending, and what importers should check
Published and sources reviewed: · SeedMatch Group editorial team
Short answer
Two separate approvals apply. Fresh South African apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums and European plums (fresh prunes) may enter China under a protocol signed on 15 October 2025 and GACC Announcement 222 of 14 November 2025; trade began in February 2026. Fresh cherries have their own protocol, signed on 8 September 2026, and GACC Announcement 140 of 2026, but on 22 October 2026 a trade report said final approval was still pending.
- Confirmed: stone fruit access, registered orchards, packhouses and cold-treatment facilities on a seasonal GACC list, and shipments from February 2026.
- Confirmed: a cherry protocol (8 September 2026) and GACC Announcement 140/2026 permitting compliant fresh sweet cherries (Prunus avium).
- Pending: final operational clearance for cherries and the 2026/27 registered-facility lists. No first cherry shipment was verified.
- Every consignment still needs a registered facility, cold treatment or approved fumigation, pre-export inspection, a phytosanitary certificate and a Chinese import quarantine permit.
This brief summarises official and industry sources as of 25 October 2026. It is not regulatory advice, and access for a product does not approve any particular exporter, orchard or packhouse. Check the current GACC lists and the South African authority before contracting.
What is confirmed and what is still pending
Each line states what the cited documents show as of 25 October 2026.
| Item | Status | What the sources show |
|---|---|---|
| Stone fruit protocol (apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums, European plums) | Confirmed | Signed in Shanghai on 15 October 2025 by South Africa's Minister of Agriculture and the Minister of GACC. Cherries are not covered. |
| GACC announcement for stone fruit | Confirmed | Announcement 222 of 2025, dated 14 November 2025. European plum (Prunus domestica) means fresh fruit, not dried prunes. |
| Registered facilities, 2025/26 season | Confirmed | A final list of facilities approved for the 2025/26 season was circulated on 3 February 2026. Lists are seasonal, not permanent. |
| Stone fruit shipments | Confirmed | Nectarines arrived in Shanghai by air on 9 February 2026; Hortgro reported the first full container of plums on 18 February 2026. |
| Cherry protocol and GACC announcement | Confirmed | Protocol signed in Beijing on 8 September 2026; GACC Announcement 140 of 2026 (dated 21 September, published 24 September) permits compliant fresh cherries. |
| Final operational approval for cherries | Pending | FreshPlaza, citing Reuters on 22 October 2026, reported that final approval remains pending, with clearance expected by year-end. |
| Registered facilities for 2026/27 | Pending | Not found in this review. Check the current GACC list before contracting. |
| First arrivals of peaches and apricots | Unknown | Not verified in the sources reviewed. |
Products, origin and destination
- Products covered (stone fruit)
- Fresh apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums and European plums (fresh prunes)
- Product covered (cherries)
- Fresh sweet cherries (Prunus avium), once operational approval is final
- Origin
- South Africa; audits and certification by the Department of Agriculture
- Destination
- China; import permit, document checks and arrival inspection by GACC
- Treatment
- Cold treatment at fruit-pulp temperature of −0.6 °C or below for at least 22 consecutive days, before export or in transit, or the specified methyl bromide fumigation
- Pre-export inspection
- Initially 2% of each consignment, at least 1,200 fruit, including cutting fruit for inspection
Product specification to put in the RFQ
Ask every exporter to answer the same lines so offers can be compared, and so compliance can be checked before payment terms are agreed.
- Fruit and variety: e.g. nectarine, plum or cherry, with the variety names offered.
- Size or count, carton weight, punnet or pack format, and pallet configuration.
- Quality targets you require (for example firmness or sugar content), with the method the supplier will report.
- Registered orchard, packhouse and cold-treatment facility codes, matched to the current GACC list.
- Treatment route: in-transit or pre-export cold treatment (−0.6 °C or below, 22 days) or fumigation, with temperature records.
- Phytosanitary certificate and Chinese import quarantine permit numbers.
- Shipping mode and arrival port or airport, Incoterms, and the arrival window (for example before Spring Festival).
- Labelling and traceability details required by the announcement.
Seasonality and counter-seasonal supply
South Africa ships in the southern summer. Hortgro data reported by Fruitnet gives peaches and nectarines from October to April and plums from November to May, with an overall peak in late January and early February. Hortgro puts apricot exports mainly in weeks 44 to 49.
South African cherries are mainly a November to January crop. Hortgro said in its September 2026 release that the season opens about three weeks before Chile's, which matters for the Chinese market.
For Chinese buyers this is counter-seasonal supply: it arrives in the northern winter and the Spring Festival window, alongside Chilean and Australian fruit. The first stone fruit arrivals in February 2026 were launched for Spring Festival sales.
Checks before contracting
1. Confirm the product is covered
Stone fruit and cherries fall under different protocols and announcements. Cherry offers should not be contracted on the basis of the stone fruit protocol.
2. Check the registered facility
Orchards, packhouses and cold-treatment facilities must be registered with GACC for the season. Ask for the facility codes and check them against the current list.
3. Treatment and inspection
Agree who carries out and records cold treatment or fumigation, and how pre-export inspection results are shared before loading.
4. Import quarantine permit
The Chinese importer needs an import quarantine permit. Make it a condition precedent in the contract.
5. Cherries: wait for final approval
Until final operational approval and registered cherry facilities are confirmed, treat cherry offers as provisional.
Who this is for
- Chinese fruit importers, wholesale-market traders and retail buyers planning counter-seasonal programmes. The first arrivals were launched at Shanghai's Huizhan fruit and vegetable market and Guangzhou's Jiangnan wholesale market.
- South African exporters checking which steps remain before a China programme.
- International buyers comparing South African, Chilean and Australian winter supply.
Frequently asked questions
Can South African cherries be exported to China?
A cherry protocol was signed on 8 September 2026 and GACC Announcement 140 of 2026 permits compliant fresh cherries, but a 22 October 2026 report said final approval was still pending. Confirm operational clearance and registered facilities before contracting.
Which South African stone fruits are approved for China?
Fresh apricots, peaches, nectarines, plums and European plums (fresh prunes), under the protocol of 15 October 2025 and GACC Announcement 222 of 2025.
What treatment does China require?
Cold treatment at a fruit-pulp temperature of −0.6 °C or below for at least 22 consecutive days, before export or in transit, or the methyl bromide fumigation specified in the announcement.
When did stone fruit trade start?
Nectarines arrived in Shanghai by air on 9 February 2026, and the first full container of plums was dispatched on 18 February 2026.
Does SeedMatch Group sell fruit?
No. SeedMatch Group runs a buyer-first, human-reviewed request process. Commodity programmes are handled through its parent group's marketplace, Global B2B Group, and buyers and suppliers do not contact each other directly.
Planning a South African fruit programme for China?
Send a private fresh-produce request with the fruit, variety, pack, treatment route, arrival window and volume. A sourcing specialist reviews it before any exporter is approached. Free for buyers; programmes from USD 250,000.
SeedMatch Group is the specialised commercial agriculture platform of Global B2B Group, its parent group. Fruit and other food commodities are sourced through Global B2B Group
Market entry & trade pathways
Compare confirmed and pending conditions across this route and related ones, check your exporter readiness item by item, and send a confidential RFQ or readiness profile for review.
Open Market Entry & Trade PathwaysRelated guides
- South African cherries to China: status, GACC rules and RFQ
- Cherry sourcing for China: origins, supplier checklist and RFQ
- South Africa produce sourcing: export data, seasons and RFQ
- South African avocados and cherries for Asian buyers
- Fresh produce buying guide
- Premium fruit export intelligence: cherries, avocados, blueberries
- Chile → China cherries: the established southern-hemisphere cherry corridor, with season, grades and protocol checks
- Post-harvest cooling
- Trade documentation
Sources
Official and industry documents reviewed on 25 October 2026, with their publication dates.
- Minister John Steenhuisen signs landmark stone fruit trade protocol with China — Department of Agriculture, South Africa (gov.za) · 2025-10-15
- GACC Announcement No. 222 of 2025: phytosanitary requirements for South African fresh stone fruit (reproduced) — Ministry of Commerce of the PRC (MOFCOM) · 2025-11-14
- Final list of facilities for export of stone fruit to China, 2025-26 season — Economic and Commercial Office, PRC Embassy in South Africa (MOFCOM) · 2026-02-03
- Historic shipment of South African stone fruit to China marks a new era — Hortgro · 2026-02-26
- First-ever shipment of South African nectarines reaches China by air — Produce Report · 2026-02-12
- Minister Willie Aucamp signs protocol opening market for South African cherries — Department of Agriculture, South Africa (gov.za) · 2026-09-08
- GACC Announcement No. 140 of 2026: phytosanitary requirements for fresh cherries from South Africa — China–Africa SPS information platform · 2026-09-24
- Announcements index (Announcement 140/2026 dated 21 September 2026) — General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) · 2026-09-21
- South African cherries await final approval for exports to China (citing Reuters) — FreshPlaza · 2026-10-22
- South African cherries: China market access press release — Hortgro · 2026-09-08
- South African cherries are going places — Hortgro · 2025-11-25
- Past and future pome and stone fruit perspectives — Hortgro · 2024-12-17
- South African nectarine production increases (Hortgro data) — Fruitnet (Eurofruit) · 2024-01-31