The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the peak fruit consumption periods in China. With the celebration approaching (October 6 this year), demand for Peruvian blueberries has increased, driving sustained price increases. However, at the beginning of the season, abundant domestic supplies kept blueberry prices relatively low in the country, negatively impacting prices and returns for Peruvian fruit and resulting in reduced shipments during the first few weeks.

"Recent shipments of blueberries have increased significantly compared to previous campaigns, and sales have performed well. The quality of Peruvian blueberries has remained stable so far. The opening of the Port of Chancay has shortened maritime transit times from Peru to China, helping to preserve the quality of the fruit upon arrival," explains Andy Xie of Shanghai Junli International Trading Company, which counts blueberries among its key products.

"Since the opening of the Port of Chancay, sailing times from Peru to China have been reduced from 30-40 days to about 25 days. This shorter journey has allowed us to maintain freshness, increase shipments, and gain a competitive advantage for Peruvian blueberry sales this season. The port's opening has also concentrated arrivals more in Shanghai, whereas previously, shipments tended to be more evenly split between Shanghai and Hong Kong."

This year's Mid-Autumn Festival falls about two weeks later than usual, which, according to Andy, gives the market more time to absorb the volumes received, a positive factor for sales. "At the same time, some early Chinese blueberries have already begun to arrive on the market," he adds.

Regarding the outlook for the rest of the season, Andy notes: "So far, Peruvian production has been below expectations, so the volume arriving in China could be lower than initially anticipated. This should keep prices relatively stable. That said, early blueberry production technology in China is advancing rapidly, and we expect good domestic volume starting in mid- to late November. This means the market window for Peruvian blueberries is narrowing."

Shanghai Junli International Trading deals with cherries, blueberries, plums, and other products, which it distributes primarily through wholesale markets and e-commerce platforms.