Imports of Chilean fruit on the rise

Food exports from Chile to China saw a strong increase of 35 percent year-on-year to $438 million in 2011, according to Chilean government figures underscore the South American country’s position as one of the major fruit suppliers to China.

Chilean fruit take up a substantial share of China’s fruit imports. According to data from ProChile, a trade promotion organization at the Chile’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chilean cherry exports in 2011 accounted for 75 percent of China’s total cherry imports, while plums accounted for 71 percent; grapes, 58 percent; and apples, 54 percent.

China overtook the United States to become Chile’s largest trading partner in 2009. Bilateral trade between the two countries increased in 2011 to $29 billion from $24.7 billion a year ago, Chinese data showed.

During the first half of the year, trade between China and Chile increased 14.8 percent year-on-year to $14.7 billion, Chilean customs data showed. China, Brazil, India, Russia and South Africa — has sat together to discuss trade remedy issues, which consist of anti-dumping, anti-subsidy and safeguard measures.

In the first half of the year, China was hit by 40 trade remedy investigations from 18 countries and regions.

Seventy percent originated in major developing countries such as Brazil and India, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

JI ZHE / FOR CHINA DAILY Yang Guanghe, from the Miao ethnic group, performs a qigong demonstration at the 5th China Second-hand Car Exposition (from Saturday to Sunday) in Zaozhuang, Shandong province, on Sunday.