Market slows down on imported fruits after virus detection

Chinese fruit importers are cutting purchases as the cold market dropped more than half after coronavirus was detected on imported cherries, which may impact exporters from countries in the southern hemisphere.

Shijiazhuang, capital of North China’s Hebei Province, which just endured an outbreak that involved hundreds of infections, announced on Sunday the suspension of fruit imports, removal of on- shelf products and sealing stocks. On Saturday, Shijiazhuang detected coronavirus on a batch of imported cherries at a wholesale market. Before Shijiazhuang’s sales ban, the pricey fruit already faced scrutiny after the inner package of some imported cherries tested positive for COVID- 19 in Wuxi, East China’s Jiangsu Province. The Global Times found imported cherries being sold at deeply discounted prices in Beijing in recent days, roughly one- third of last year’s price.

Wang Li, a Beijing- based imported fruit dealer, said on Monday that his orders dropped 60 percent in the past few days and there was almost no business for cherries. Wang imports cherries from Chile and New Zealand. He also sells bananas from Southeast Asian countries and citrus fruits from Australia and New Zealand, such as oranges and grapefruit. Chinese Customs have been conducting sampling inspections on imported cherries and other fruits, and Wang is worried that the scrutiny might be heightened, which will definitely slow down import procedures and push up costs. “I am negotiating with foreign suppliers to cut some orders or postpone them.”

A Guangzhou- based fruit importer surnamed Yu said on Monday that their business has focused on imported cherries in the past two months, but sales halved since the virus- positive news reports. Sales and prices of other imported fruits also dropped dramatically, Yu said.