The first Latin American cherries of the 2025-26 season have landed in China, opening a high-stakes campaign in the world's top cherry import market and underscoring Argentina's efforts to compete with powerhouse exporter Chile.

Harvested in mid-November, the early Argentine fruit is reaching Chinese buyers ahead of the main wave of Southern Hemisphere shipments expected in early December. The first arrivals target premium supermarkets and e-commerce platforms, where imported cherries have become a prized Chinese New Year gift and festive treat.

For exporter Extraberries in Buenos Aires, that early window is the heart of its Asia strategy.

"Our key operation centers on an early production window that begins in mid-November, which allows us to reach China with the correct product: the size, color and quality that the market demands," said Agustina Quiroga, who works in the company's commercial department and focuses on the Asian market.

"Argentina cannot compete with Chile on volume, but it can compete on quality," she said. "Generally, our specialty is to compete from the start of the season until the first arrival of fruit vessels in the market."

Extraberries sources fruit from early-producing orchards such as those in Chimpay and in the Rio Negro region, and has built its China program around speed and consistency. Cherries are picked, packed and moved quickly into cold storage before being flown to Asia to preserve firmness, color and high sugar levels.

"Air logistics provides a comparative advantage over Chile and is the method we prefer," Quiroga said.

To serve China, Extraberries also must follow specific protocols that set those shipments apart from exports to other markets.

Sampling methods

"Chinese shipments require specific methods of sampling and preparation," Quiroga said. "Once a shipment is presented and prepared for China, I can divert it to other destinations, but I cannot divert a shipment bound for Europe in the same way."

While Argentina competes on timing and quality, Chile still dominates global cherry exports and China's overall import supply. For the 2025-26 season, Chilean exports are projected to reach 131 million boxes, or about 655,000 metric tons, said agricultural engineer Marcela Molina from the University of Chile.

Chile's planted area and diversified varieties give it a long shipping window into China.

Chilean exporters already have air shipments underway and are ramping up sea freight as the season advances, Molina said.

"Sea shipments begin in early to mid-November. This timing depends on the climatic variations in each region and the winter and spring temperatures," she said.

Chinese demand for cherries has increased over the past decade, leading to the creation of the "Cherry Express", a dedicated shipping service that now carries much of the crop directly to Chinese ports in 22 or 23 days.

"The Cherry Express debuted in the 2015-2016 season," Molina said. "It begins its journey in the ports of Valparaiso and San Antonio in Chile, traveling in a straight line across the entire Pacific Ocean to China, with stops in Hong Kong."

More Chinese destinations have been added over time. "The ports of Nansha, Shanghai and Tianjin were later added to avoid saturating the initial entry point of Hong Kong," Molina said.

Market figures also point to robust demand and firm pricing in China's wholesale hubs.

According to iQfruits, an industry data provider that tracks fruit prices and volumes, the price for cherries arriving by ship in China's wholesale markets peaked in the first week of January at 47.20 yuan ($6.67) a kilogram, up from 32.10 yuan during the corresponding week a year earlier. The surge underscores how tight early and midseason supply can translate into higher returns. However, the season for cherries is very short. By the first week of March, the same kilogram of cherries fetched 26.20 yuan.

With both Argentina and Chile eyeing a demanding, fast-moving market, climate change is adding another layer of complexity. Producers are investing in technology and adapting orchards and work practices to protect fruit quality.

"Roofs and protective covers are used," Molina said. "There is also the relocation of many orchards to southern areas with colder temperatures. Due to this, the use of varieties with lower chilling requirements is also employed."

The writer is a freelance journalist for China Daily.