On Dec. 8, Frutas de Chile held a grand ceremony at Guangzhou’s Jiangnonghui Fruit Wholesale Market to celebrate the arrival of the first direct “Cherry Express” vessel carrying fresh Chilean cherries to China, marking the official launch of the 2024/25 Chilean cherry sea freight season.

Distinguished guests who made appearances during the ceremony included Iván Marambio, president of Frutas de Chile; Claudia Soler, executive director of the Chilean Cherry Committee of Frutas de Chile; Zheng Nanshen, general manager of Guangzhou Jiangnonghui Market Service Management Co. Ltd.; Zhao Zhi, vice general manager of Guangzhou Jiangnonghui Market Service Management Co. Ltd.; and Gonzalo Rubilar, ProChile’s Trade Commissioner in Guangzhou.

The vessel, Seaspan Belief, departed from Chile’s Port of Valparaíso on Nov. 15 and arrived at the Port of Hong Kong at 7 a.m. on Dec. 8 after a 23-day voyage. After clearing customs, the cherries were promptly unloaded and transported to Guangzhou, ensuring seamless “farm-to-market” cold chain logistics.

On the afternoon of Dec. 8, representatives from Frutas de Chile participated in a Douyin livestream, engaging enthusiastically with viewers to promote Chilean cherries. Later that night at 10 p.m., over 1,000 traders, wholesalers and consumers gathered in the import section of the Jiangnonghui wholesale market to witness the arrival ceremony. For the first time, the event was livestreamed on Douyin, attracting a nationwide audience to join the celebration.

During the ceremony, Marambio stated, “We are especially excited to be here tonight to celebrate the first Chilean Cherry Express vessel of the 2024/25 season arriving smoothly in China. This is a significant milestone for our cooperation and a symbol of the continuous strengthening of trade ties between Chile and China. Today, over 82 million people worldwide enjoy Chilean fruits every day. This season’s cherry campaign, themed “Get Hooked on Happiness,” reflects both the exquisite taste of our cherries and the joy they bring.”

At the event, Soler introduced the official mascots of Chilean cherries: “The three mascots, 桑桑 [Sāng Sāng], 宾宾 [Bīn Bīn] and 娜娜 [Nà Nà], represent the three most popular Chilean cherry varieties — Santina, Lapins and Regina. Each mascot has its own unique personality, embodying enthusiasm, positivity and fun, which perfectly capture the spirit of Chilean cherries. We hope they bring joy to families across China.”

Following Soler’s introduction of the three mascots, Zheng delivered a speech. He noted that the arrival of the vessel marks another significant milestone in the collaboration between the two countries and expressed his anticipation of even greater success for Chilean cherries in the 2024/25 season.

As cheerful flagbearers danced their way through the venue, a container full of fresh cherries arrived at the ceremony. The guests unveiled the cherries, sharing the fresh fruits with the audience and pushing the celebration to its peak.

According to Frutas de Chile, the 2024/25 Chilean cherry season is set to reach record production levels, with the overall export volume expected to increase by 50% compared with last season, totaling 124.5 million cartons (5-kilogram equivalent) or approximately 622,500 metric tons.

Regarding the upcoming arrival of Chilean cherries in large quantities, Zhao noted that air-shipped Chilean cherries were relatively limited this season and sold out upon arrival. She anticipates a 30% increase in arrival volumes of Chilean cherries compared with last season. To ensure smooth and efficient operations, the Jiangnonghui market management team has held several meetings to optimize traffic management and expedite container entry.

Additionally, the market has expanded its existing trading spaces to improve the logistics efficiency. These measures are intended to accelerate the distribution of Chilean cherries from Jiangnonghui to wholesale markets, wet markets and supermarkets around China, providing strong support for Frutas de Chile’s promotional activities.

This season, Frutas de Chile will continue to strengthen its promotional efforts in key regional markets, aiming to penetrate lower-tier markets and bring this delightful fruit to more families across China.

Images: Frutas de Chile