(Yicai) Dec. 24 -- The price of cherries has tumbled in China this month, with the country expected to bring in almost 590,000 tons of the fruit from Chile over the winter.

Wholesale cherry prices have fallen between 15 percent and 25 percent in December from a year earlier, Hai Ya, a buyer at Benlai Life, a fresh produce sales platform provider, told Yicai. While the drop at the retail end is slightly less, overall prices remain lower than last year, Hai added.

Chile will likely export about 655,000 tons of cherries, equivalent to 131 million boxes at 5 kilograms each, during the 2025-2026 season, with more than 90 percent destined for China, according to data the Asian country’s Trade ProChile Office recently released on WeChat.

"The annual cherry season has arrived, with this year to be the largest in history," Shanghai Huizhan Fruit and Vegetable Market Operation Management, which oversees East China’s biggest wholesale hub for imported fruits, said on WeChat on Dec. 15. “More than 10,000 cherry containers will likely enter the Chinese market.”

The price drop is due to the combined effects of supply, logistics, and the market, Hai pointed out. "On the supply end, Chile's production hit a record high thanks to favorable climate conditions during the 2025-26 season, leading to a surge in exports to China.

"On the logistics side, the sea voyage was shortened by four or five days to 23 days over the past year," Hai said. “Dedicated shipping capacity is sufficient, so the share of air freight has fallen, and since sea transport is much cheaper than by air, bulk shipments have led to rapidly declining wholesale prices and have cut transportation costs by about 10 percent to 20 percent per container.”

Regarding the market, competition among channels has intensified, Hai pointed out. Retailers, including e-commerce platforms and supermarket chains, have stocked up early and launched subsidy campaigns, with family-sized 2.5 kg packs being CNY20 to CNY40 (USD2.85 to USD5.70) cheaper this year than last year, Hai noted.

Cherry prices also fell month on month. At a supermarket in Shanghai's Jing'an district yesterday, Yicai found a 2.5 kg box of 2J grade cherries for CNY148 (USD21.06) and a 3J grade box for CNY178, compared with CNY188 and CNY228 a month earlier.

Editor: Martin Kadiev