Registered exporters mainly in Pernambuco and Bahia will have opportunity to supply market under new agreed protocol
Brazilian table grapes have been granted access to China, after the country’s Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) agreed on a new protocol with Chinese customs officials.
The agreement was finalised during a bilateral meeting between the countries’ presidents Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Xi Jinping at a meeting in Brasília.
It outlines the phytosanitary and sanitary requirements for exporting Brazilian grapes to China.
According to Mapa, Brazil has also seen “exponential growth” in fresh grape exports.
It said Brazilian grapes already account for 2 per cent of global fresh grape trade, and pointed out that China, a significant consumer of premium grapes, imported more than US$480mn worth of the product in 2023.
Exports of fresh table grapes from Brazil to China will come mainly from Pernambuco and Bahia, it added.
Only registered orchards, packing facilities, and cold treatment facilities that comply with good agricultural practices will be permitted to take part.
Guilherme Coelho, president of fruit industry association Abrafrutas, commented: “The entry of fresh Brazilian grapes into the Chinese market is a great achievement for the national fruit industry, which opens doors to new business and consolidates Brazil as a world reference in quality and sustainability in the sector.”
He added: “Our entity, which is celebrating ten years of existence, will continue to partner with producers, authorities and international bodies to further expand the presence of Brazilian fruits in the global market, promoting the excellence of national production and boosting the country’s economic development.”
