A shipment of 76 tons of fresh cherries from Chile, delivered by a chartered freight plane of China Eastern Air Holding Co., Ltd. (China Eastern), recently arrived at Shanghai Pudong International Airport.
The cherries began their journey in Santiago, Chile, and arrived in Shanghai after a 25-hour flight. This is the 10th year running that China Eastern has transported fresh cherries from the South American country to China.
Over the past decade, the number of China Eastern's chartered flights dedicated to delivering fresh products has increased dramatically, from just two a decade ago to around 350 flights this year.
Altogether, China Eastern has transported over 50,000 tons of cherries, salmon and other food products from Chile to China over the past 10 years. The total value of these imports has surpassed $1 billion (7.26 billion yuan), significantly enriching the choices available to Chinese consumers and benefiting Chilean agriculture.
Among its milestones, China Eastern secured a $230 million cherry deal at the 2021 China International Import Expo and a $500 million salmon agreement at the 2023 event. These partnerships have strengthened bilateral trade and created new channels for Chilean products to reach China, including the Santiago-Chengdu salmon charter route launched in April 2023 and the Miami-Ezhou cargo route that was added in June.
Over 90 percent of Chile's annual cherry exports currently go to China, with China Eastern handling the majority of airfreight. In recognition of the growing demand for fresh produce, China Eastern has announced plans to transport approximately 12,000 tons of cherries during the 2024 and 2025 cherry seasons, with 5,500 tons expected to be shipped by air.
Executive editor: Wang Ruoting
