Peru will send its first consignment of blueberries to China on 21 November following the agreement reached last week by both countries during the state visit of president Pedro Pablo Kuczynski to Shanghai.
Eduardo Ferreyros, Peru’s tourism and foreign trade minister, said the shipment will be undertaken by China Eastern Airlines, one of the three biggest carriers in the Asian country. This marks the airline’s first involvement with Peru.
The shipment will take place during the visit of Chinese premier Xi Jinping for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum's Summit, which will also serve as the backdrop for the official signing of the protocol.
A delegation of AQSIQ inspectors arrived in Peru this week to complete the pest risk analysis. This will be followed by a visit by Peruvian plant health agencies Senasa and Sanipes to Beijing in October to finalise the process.
Blueberries join the growing list of fruits and vegetables to secure access to the Chinese market, which now includes Hass avocados, table grapes, mango and asparagus. Pomegranates and quinoa are the next products in line for negotiations, the Peruvian government said.
