Fresh Serbian blueberries gain access to the Chinese market

A new free trade agreement between China and Serbia is poised to officially take effect on July 1, with China expressing a willingness to expand its imports of high-quality Serbian agricultural products. Following a state visit by President Xi Jinping to Serbia on May 7 and 8, the General Administration of Customs of China announced via its website that fresh blueberries from Serbia meeting the stipulated phytosanitary requirements would be permitted for import into China. This development makes blueberries the second Serbian fresh fruit to gain access to the Chinese market, following permission being granted to fresh Serbian apples in October 2023. Serbia is one of Europe’s largest blueberry producers and agriculture is a major contributor to the Eastern European country’s economy. The Serbian blueberry season runs from early June to October, yielding an annual output of approximately 7,000 metric tons. Owing to technological advances, the Serbian blueberry sector has experienced ...