Increasing demand in China sweetens fruit export opportunities for Thailand

The office director-general, Poonpong Naiyanapakorn said China's import of fruits had continued to increase, thanks to economic growth and increase in the people's purchasing power. Chinese consumers are ready to spend more on foods with high quality and taste, he added. He said Thailand is the No. 1 fruit exporter to China with a market share of 41.3% followed by Chile with 24.4%. He added that China has high demand for tropical fruits, such as durian, banana, mangosteen, longan and coconut. So far, the General Administration of Customs China has allowed the import of 22 Thai fruits, namely tamarind, custard apple, papaya, star fruit, guava, rambutan, langsat, sapodilla, passion fruit, mandarin orange, orange, pomelo, pineapple, banana, coconut, jackfruit, longan, durian, mango, lychee, mangosteen and rose apple, he said. He added that Thai rose apple has 100% market share in China, followed by longan (99.3%), durian (95.3%), mangosteen (86.8%) rambutan (82.4%) and coconut ...