Fresh Hungarian cherries granted China market access

From May 8 to 10, Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Hungary, during which the two countries signed a number of new cooperation agreements to deepen their economic and cultural ties. On May 9, meanwhile, the General Administration of Customs of China announced via its website that fresh Hungarian cherries meeting the stipulated phytosanitary requirements would be permitted for import into China. This makes cherries the first fresh fruit item from Hungary to gain access to the Chinese market. Hungary is a significant cherry producer in Europe, focusing primarily on sour cherries. Its annual production of sweet cherries is approximately 10,000 metric tons, peaking at 12,000 metric tons in 2018. At present, Hungary is in the midst of its cherry season, with cherries grown in greenhouses typically ripening in early May, while those cultivated in open fields are usually harvested from early June to early July. Hungarian cherries are predominantly exported to neighboring ...