China: Fresh Deciduous Fruit Annual

Weather conditions during crop development in 2021 are expected to have little impact on the production of apples, pears, and table grapes, forecast at 45 MMT, 18 MMT, and 11 MMT, respectively. Consumer demand for domestic and imported fruit is forecast to be weak due to the economic slowdown following the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, ongoing supply chain disruptions are expected to keep transportation costs high and cause shortages in shipping containers adding uncertainty across the fruit trade, both for imports and exports. Sources indicate that recent energy shortages are not expected to impact deciduous fruit distribution, which relies to a limited extent on electricity.