Airfreighted shipment, grown in Chile’s Coquimbo region, arrives in Shanghai
The Chilean cherry export season has kicked off with the first shipment of fruit flying into Shanghai on 18 October.
According to JD Fresh, China Eastern Airlines cargo plane carrying the first batch of Chilean cherries for the 2026 season landed at Shanghai Pudong Airport. These cherries originated from the trees in the Colchagua region of Chile, flew directly to Shanghai via a Santiago-based all-cargo route.
This is also the first batch of Chilean cherries air-freighted to JD Fresh for pre-sale starting 12 October. The variety AG2 was available in sizes ranging from 2J to 4J, and was in demand for its reported strong flavour compared to other early-season offerings.
JD Fresh’s procurement team visited Chile’s key production regions before the season and established a direct sourcing partnership with Chilean exporter Global AG to control the variety, specifications, and ripeness of its initial cherry shipments from the source.
According to local Chilean media, rainfall in some of Chile’s key cherry-growing regions this year has slowed ripening and hindered sugar accumulation, completely disrupting the early-season crop.
