Import market · China · fresh fruit and vegetables
China: fresh produce imports from Peru, Ecuador and Kenya (2024 data)
Priority 1 — over USD 500 m verified in-scope produce imports · trade data retrieved 26 Oct 2026
Short answer
- China reported USD 698.1 m of in-scope fresh produce imports from these origins in 2024, led by Peru blueberries and other Vaccinium, fresh (34,607 t, USD 321.9 m).
- MIDAGRI lists China as number 9 of the ten main destinations of Peruvian agricultural exports in 2024.
- PIB names this market among India's FY 2024-25 seafood destinations (second-largest destination). Seafood is context only here.
- China is not among Kenya's top-20 horticulture destinations in the KNBS table, although China reported small avocado imports from Kenya.
Verified trade flow = China reported the import in UN Comtrade for 2024. Hypothesis = a possible opportunity not confirmed by trade data or buyers. Nothing here is a supplier offer, price, market-access ruling or legal opinion.
Why importers source through SeedMatch instead of alone
Finding an exporter is rarely the hard part; specifying, screening and comparing offers for a perishable product with a short window is. A sourcing specialist does that work with you.
Free for buyers
No fee to submit or review a request. Qualified programmes start at USD 250,000 total annual or seasonal value.
One structured RFQ
Variety, grade and size, pack, volumes, arrival window, documents, Incoterm and cold chain in one brief.
Several suppliers, screened and compared
Responses are organised against your specification; supplier claims stay marked as declared until documents are reviewed.
Confidential, mediated contact
Your company details stay confidential. Supplier communication is mediated by Global B2B Group, SeedMatch's parent group; suppliers do not contact you directly.
Evidence on origin and market
Trade flows and authority links on this page are dated and cited, and hypotheses are labelled.
What makes fresh produce hard to source alone
- Fruits and vegetables lose 25.4% after harvest and before retail, against 13.3% for all food. FAO, SDG indicator 12.3.1 (2023 estimate)
- Fruits and vegetables were the most-notified category in the EU Alert and Cooperation Network in 2024 (1,479 notifications, 16%); pesticide residues were the most reported issue. European Commission, ACN 2024 Annual Report
A complete specification and like-for-like comparison can help you negotiate on one basis and save your team time. These are potential benefits, not guaranteed savings, prices or margins.
Verified flows in scope
| Origin | Product (HS) | Tonnes | USD m | Share of market's imports (value) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peru | Blueberries and other Vaccinium, fresh (081040) | 34,607 | 321.9 | 90.8% |
| Ecuador | Bananas (excl. plantains) (080390) | 248,408 | 165.8 | 18.3% |
| Peru | Table grapes, fresh (080610) | 34,262 | 119.3 | 36.7% |
| Peru | Avocados (080440) | 37,737 | 87.4 | 71.4% |
| Kenya | Avocados (080440) | 1,580 | 2.9 | 2.4% |
| Peru | Mangoes, guavas, mangosteens (080450) | 118 | 0.8 | 0.1% |
Source: UN Comtrade, importer-reported, 2024, retrieved 26 Oct 2026.
Hypotheses to test (not confirmed)
- Peruvian blueberries, grapes and avocados already flow; other Peruvian or Kenyan fruit should be treated as unavailable until GACC access is confirmed.
RFQ specification template
The fields suppliers ask for first. Fill them once in the request; the specialist uses the same brief for every supplier.
- Product and variety
- e.g. Hass avocado; name acceptable alternatives
- Origin preference
- one or several origins, or open
- Grade, class and size
- your grade standard, size or count range
- Pack format and labelling
- carton or punnet, net weight, label language, private label
- Volume
- per shipment and per season
- Delivery window and frequency
- first and last arrival week, weekly or per-container
- Destination and Incoterm
- port or warehouse; FOB, CFR, CIF or DAP
- Documents
- see the checklist below
- Cold chain
- your temperature and transit requirements
- Total programme value
- USD 250,000 or more, annual or seasonal
Request quotes:Blueberries and other Vaccinium, fresh — PeruBananas (excl. plantains) — EcuadorAvocados — Peru
Quality and traceability document checklist
Legal requirements depend on product, origin and use; the authority link decides. Buyer practices are what many importers ask for — confirm with your own customers.
- Legal requirementPhytosanitary certificate from the exporting country's plant-protection organisation, where the destination requires one.
- Legal requirementPesticide residues within the destination's maximum residue limits for that product.
- Common buyer practiceFood-safety or good-practice certificates (for example GLOBALG.A.P., BRCGS, IFS) naming holder, site, scope and expiry.
- Common buyer practiceLot traceability from pallet to packhouse and farm.
- Common buyer practicePre-shipment quality report against your grade, and temperature records for the voyage.
- Common buyer practiceCertificate of origin where a tariff preference is claimed.
Context outside the produce RFQ
| Origin | Product (HS) | Tonnes | USD m | Share of market's imports (value) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ecuador | Frozen warm-water shrimp and prawns (030617) | 671,903 | 3,088.7 | 67.9% |
| India | Frozen warm-water shrimp and prawns (030617) | 140,374 | 761 | 16.7% |
SeedMatch does not source seafood or cut flowers. Seafood buyers can use the group's buyer-first channels: Global B2B Group · FishMatch Group
Import-readiness checklist: China
The steps an importer typically works through for commercial fresh fruit and vegetables under Chinese rules, each linked to the official page it rests on. Steps marked "Verify" were not confirmed from an official source in our review: treat them as questions for the authority, not as requirements.
1. GACC access and protocol
Fresh fruit enters only under GACC access for the exact product and country; protocols can fix registered orchards and packhouses, pest controls and traceability.
Check before shipment
- Exact botanical name, variety, country and region of production entered in the lookup
- Protocol conditions and registered orchard and packhouse status
- GACC entry and registration query portal (imported agricultural products; overseas enterprises) — General Administration of Customs of China, undated page, checked 28 Oct 2026
2. Phytosanitary certificate and entry quarantine
The exporting country's certificate must carry the protocol's declarations; consignments are inspected and quarantined at entry by customs.
Check before shipment
- Certificate and additional declarations
- Protocol pest controls or treatment documented
- General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) — General Administration of Customs of China, undated page, checked 28 Oct 2026
3. Overseas registration and importer filingVerify
GACC Decree 248 governs registration of overseas food manufacturers; this review did not confirm how it applies to fresh-fruit packhouses already listed under a protocol. Confirm the category and the importer's filing.
Check before shipment
- Whether the packhouse needs separate GACC registration
- GACC Decree No. 248 (registration of overseas manufacturers of imported food; effective 1 Jan 2022) — General Administration of Customs of China, 2021-04-12
- GACC entry and registration query portal (imported agricultural products; overseas enterprises) — General Administration of Customs of China, undated page, checked 28 Oct 2026
4. Residue limits (GB 2763) and labellingVerify
Not confirmed from an official source in this review: the current GB 2763 limits and the package-marking rules for each product. Confirm before packing.
Check before shipment
- Exporter's spray record for the lot compared with the destination's limit for each active substance
- Protocol-required package markings and lot traceability
- General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) — General Administration of Customs of China, undated page, checked 28 Oct 2026
Reviewed 28 Oct 2026. Requirements depend on the exact product, origin and use, and change. Not legal advice and no promise of clearance; the importer of record confirms the current rules with the authority before contracting.
Import authorities to check before contracting
- General Administration of Customs of China (GACC)
Fresh fruit access is granted per product and origin; check GACC's admitted list before relying on a trade flow.
Each importer, exporter and supplier remains responsible for the rules that apply to its own role. Requirements vary by product, origin and use, and change; confirm the current requirement with the authority.
For growers and exporters: export-ready supply
Buyers compare consistency of size, maturity and documentation. On the supply side that depends on irrigation, packhouses and cold chain — SeedMatch's core project scope.
Sourcing fresh produce for China
Send one confidential request with products, origins, grade, packaging, volumes, delivery window and destination. A sourcing specialist reviews it before any supplier is approached; supplier communication is mediated by Global B2B Group, and buyers and suppliers do not contact each other directly. Free for buyers; programmes from USD 250,000. SeedMatch does not grow, export, import or certify, and does not guarantee price, supply or import approval.
Questions buyers ask
Which fresh produce from Peru, Ecuador and Kenya does China import most?
By reported 2024 import value: Blueberries and other Vaccinium, fresh – Peru (USD 321.9 m); Bananas (excl. plantains) – Ecuador (USD 165.8 m); Table grapes, fresh – Peru (USD 119.3 m). Source: UN Comtrade, as reported by China, retrieved 26 Oct 2026.
Does a recorded trade flow mean a product can be imported into China today?
No. Trade data shows what was imported in a past year. Current plant-health, food-safety and residue rules apply per product and origin; the importer and exporter confirm them with the authority before contracting.
Is SeedMatch free for importers?
Yes. Buyers do not pay to submit or review a request. Managed sourcing is for programmes of at least USD 250,000 total annual or seasonal value.
Which documents should I ask an exporter for?
Typically the phytosanitary certificate where required, evidence that residues meet the destination's limits, food-safety or good-practice certificates with holder, site, scope and expiry, lot traceability and a pre-shipment quality report. The legal list depends on product, origin and the authority.
How does sourcing through SeedMatch work for this market?
Send one confidential request. A sourcing specialist reviews it before suppliers are approached; supplier communication is mediated by Global B2B Group, and buyers and suppliers do not contact each other directly. SeedMatch does not grow, export, import or certify.
Exporters by origin: Peru · Ecuador · Kenya · India · Colombia
- UN Comtrade Database — importer-reported imports by partner, annual, HS six-digit — United Nations Statistics Division, 2026-10-26
- Agroexportaciones cierran el 2024 con un récord de US$ 12,798 millones (ten main destination countries) — MIDAGRI, Peru, 2025-02-11
- National Agriculture Production Report 2025, Table 4.11: Top 20 horticultural export destinations (AFA data, 2024 provisional) — Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, 2025-10
- India's Seafood Exports: From Growth to Global Competitiveness (FY 2024-25 destinations) — Press Information Bureau, Government of India, 2026-04-03
Trade figures are importer-reported (UN Comtrade public API, retrieved 26 Oct 2026), 2024 except the UAE (2023, the latest it had reported). Rows under USD 0.5 m are omitted. HS codes may group several products. In scope: Peruvian blueberries, grapes, avocados, mangoes, mandarins and asparagus; Ecuadorian bananas; Kenyan avocados, beans, mangoes and other vegetables. Shrimp is context only. Not legal advice.