Rebounding Chinese economy to drive growth in citrus demand

China’s fresh citrus production and consumption are forecast to continue their upward trends in 2020/21, reaching 35.6 million tons and 34 million tons, respectively, according to FAS/Beijing data. However, the rate of production growth is expected to slow as prices drop and consumer demand reaches saturation point. Demand for imported citrus in 2020/21 is expected to remain low due to the economic downturn, down 25% overall from pre-COVID levels. There are also lower imports of frozen concentrate orange juice and production, indicating consumers’ changing preferences to juices made from fresh fruits. Chinese countermeasures for COVID-19 will continue to add complications and costs to all cold chain imports, including citrus. Fresh orange imports are projected to grow slightly in 2020/21 to 290,000 tons, as the Chinese economy partially rebounds while local citrus supplies will depress import demand. Major suppliers remain Egypt, South Africa, Australia, the US, and Spain. China's ...