In the past ten years, the fruit bowls on the table of Chinese people have undergone great changes, apples, bananas, oranges, pears, the "old four" can no longer satisfy the stomach of Chinese, Thai coconut green, Chilean cherries, Malaysian durian and other high-quality fruits of the "Belt and Road" countries have gradually been put into the shopping basket by more and more domestic consumers.
(Jinbo Story·" Special Report on the 10th Anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative) Theme poster on the fruit plate of the "Belt and Road" and the epitome of Jinbo
With the continuous expansion of China's market access and the continuous improvement of customs clearance convenience, domestic consumers can also taste the deliciousness of fruits jointly built by the "Belt and Road" country more and more quickly. In the first quarter of this year, Shanghai Port imported 38,17 tons of dried fresh melons, fruits and nuts from the "Belt and Road" countries, with a cargo value of 5.<> billion yuan.
For people who often buy imported fruits, a banana product with a golden sun logo printed on the packaging bag must be no stranger, which is the fist product "super sweet banana" of the century-old fruit and vegetable brand Doile. Founded in Hawaii in 1851, Dole now has a sales network and own farms in more than 90 countries around the world, operating more than 19 kinds of fruit and vegetable products from 90 countries throughout the year.
Doile, which entered the Chinese market in 1998, has a high reputation among many supermarkets and wholesalers in the industry, but because it has not opened large-scale direct stores, there is not much "voice" between consumers and users. Until participating in the Expo in 2018, Dole hit the brand awareness, super sweet plantain, golden pineapple, Philippine avocado, Thai perfume coconut, etc. became the "star products" of the Expo, sold all over the country.
Dole booth at the 5th CIIE. Photo courtesy of Dole China
"The six years of participating in the Expo are also six years of rapid growth for Dole." Wang Na, director of Dole China market, said in an interview with Chinanews.com a few days ago that with the spillover effect of the Expo 365 days a year, Dole has not only enhanced its brand awareness in China, but also opened up more channels and expanded its "business circle".
This year, Dole will participate in the sixth CIIE. Since being invited by the Philippine Consulate in 2018, Dole has continuously participated in the exhibition and is an "old friend" of the Expo. During the past five CIIE, Dole has reached intentional cooperation with hundreds of enterprises, signed hundreds of millions of orders, and joined hands with other exhibitors to develop diversified cooperation business, becoming the official fruit partner of Shanghai Disney Resort and Minions Big Eye.
This year is the sixth year of the Expo, but also the tenth year of the "Belt and Road" initiative, Dole as a multinational enterprise in the production and sales of fruits and vegetables, currently from the "Belt and Road" countries to introduce more than 100 kinds of fruits from China, including Chilean cherries, Peruvian blueberries and other best-selling products. Wang Na said that with the "Belt and Road" dividend, Dole can more quickly deliver high-quality fruits and vegetables from overseas regions to the tables of domestic consumers, so that consumers in the northern hemisphere can also taste the special fruits and vegetables of the southern hemisphere at any time.
Dole Shanghai processing and distribution center. Photo by China News Network reporter Kang Yuzhan
Whether it is the Expo or the "Belt and Road" initiative, China's national door has opened wider and wider, allowing products from more countries and regions to gain access. According to relevant announcements issued by the General Administration of Customs, China's total fruit imports in 2022 reached US$146.8 billion, an increase of 733% year-on-year. Among them, fruit imports totaled 4.2012 million tons, up 345% year-on-year, compared with less than 2018.66 million tons in <>, and imports doubled in ten years. In addition, since the first CIIE in <>, the number of fresh fruits newly approved to enter China has reached <> categories.
Since participating in the Expo in 2018, Dole has brought 5 new fruits to the stage of the Expo for the first time in 9 years. For example, at the third CIIE, Dole introduced Brazilian melon and Philippine avocado to the Chinese market for the first time, of which Philippine avocado was just allowed to enter China in 2020. At the <>th CIIE, Dole debuted Belgian vermilion red pear, and the annual production was sold out before the end of the exhibition. All the exhibits at the Expo, Wang Na sighed: "The Expo is really a catalyst, promoting exhibits to become commodities and commodities into explosive products. ”
It is worth mentioning that Dole will exhibit more than 70 kinds of fruit and vegetable products at the 2023th CIIE, the biggest highlight of which is the new Philippine gold Puya durian that has entered China this year. It is understood that before 3, only durians from Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam have obtained market access from China, and Dule is happy to ship the first batch of Philippine durians to China on April 4 this year, becoming the first enterprise to introduce this category of fruit to China.
Golden Puya durian is cleaned after harvest in the Philippines. Photo courtesy of Dole China
"Dole continues to be optimistic about the Chinese market, and will continue to deepen the Chinese market with the Expo, expand its investment in the Chinese market, and continue to develop new products." Wang Na said that as a global shared public product, the Expo has cut into a large number of high-quality "world fruits" for the "Chinese fruit plate". (End)