If export expansion goes according to plan, China could represent a quarter of global apple trade by 2008, according to a report by the USDA.

The Chinese apple sector produces around half of all the world’s apples volume, but the internal politics of the country have limited export expansion until recently. However, exports increased from $173 million in 2002-3 to a new high of nearly $250m in 2003-4, said the USDA study.

If targets are met, the 708,406 tonnes exported in 2003 will become closer to 1.25mt by 2008, 25 per cent of the apples traded around the globe.

The increasing desire and opportunity to export apples has led to a discernible improvement in the overall quality of the product available from China. While there is still a high proportion of the crop that is either destined for the massive internal market or for the processing sector, Chinese producers will be able to significantly expand export volumes while maintaining their economies of scale, and therefore a competitive pricing structure.

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