The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the peak periods for fruit consumption in China. With the festival approaching (October 6 this year), demand for Peruvian blueberries has risen, driving a steady increase in prices. Earlier in the season, however, abundant domestic supply kept blueberry prices relatively low in China, which negatively affected the selling price and returns for Peruvian blueberries and led to a reduction in shipments to the Chinese market during the early weeks.
"Recent arrivals of blueberries have risen significantly compared with previous seasons, and sales performance has been strong. The quality of Peruvian blueberries has remained stable so far. The opening of Chancay Port has shortened sea transit times from Peru to China, helping to preserve fruit quality upon arrival," explained Mr. Andy Xie of Shanghai Junli International Trading Company, which counts blueberries among its key products.
"Since the opening of Chancay Port, sailing times from Peru to China have been cut from 30–40 days to roughly 25 days. This shorter journey has allowed us to maintain freshness, increase shipments, and gain a competitive edge for Peruvian blueberry sales this season. The port opening has also led to a higher concentration of arrivals in Shanghai, whereas shipments used to be more evenly split between Shanghai and Hong Kong."
This year's Mid-Autumn Festival fell about two weeks later than usual, which Andy believes gave the market more time to absorb arriving shipments, a positive factor for sales. "At the same time, some early-season Chinese blueberries have already begun to reach the market," he added.
Discussing the outlook for the remainder of the season, Andy said: "So far, Peruvian production has been below expectations, so the volume arriving in China may be lower than initially projected. This should keep prices relatively stable. That said, China's early blueberry production technology is becoming increasingly sophisticated, and we expect significant domestic output starting in mid-to-late November. This means the market window for Peruvian blueberries is getting narrower."
Shanghai Junli International Trading focuses on cherries, blueberries, plums, and other products, distributing mainly through wholesale markets and e-commerce platforms.