Oct 7, 2015

Chinese importers touring Northwest apple industry

Nine Chinese importers are visiting Washington state and Oregon this week to learn more about their apple and pear industries, according to the Washington Apple Commission (WAC).

WAC and Northwest Pear Bureau are jointly sponsoring the trade mission, which brings buyers from major importing companies in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Dalian. While in Washington, the group will visit orchards and packing houses in Wenatchee and Yakima and have the opportunity to see the harvest and taste many of the varieties Washington growers produce. Events in both cities will give Washington apple export shippers the opportunity for one-on-one meetings with participants to discuss future business.

“We think that China could be the third largest market for Washington apples in the near future,” said Todd Fryhover, WAC’s president. “In addition to the importer tour, we are conducting activities with major retailers throughout China and participating in e-commerce promotions as well.”

In May 2015, after many years of negotiations, the United States and China reached an agreement allowing access for all varieties of U.S. apples to enter China. During the 2014-15 apple season, which ended Aug. 31, approximately 3.1 million 40-lb. cartons of Washington apples, worth over $53 million, ended up in China, either directly or through transshipment, according to WAC.

Historically, one-third of the Washington apple crop is exported to more than 60 countries.