‘Record-breaking’ deal: South African cherries can now enter China – here’s the benefit
The next step is to enter into a similar partnership to export South African blueberries, as proposed by China.
Agriculture ministers Wille Aucamp of South Africa and Sun Meijun of China's General Administration of Customs recently signed a protocol enabling South African cherry exports to China for the first time. The 8 September 2026 agreement will allow cherry producers duty-free access to the Chinese market, granting them a significant economic advantage.
This achievement marks record-breaking market access for South African agricultural products, with China being the world's largest cherry importer. The protocol will grant South African agriculture exporters 0% tariff access to China, a commitment made under the Framework Agreement on Economic Partnership for Shared Development.
South Africa stands to benefit economically as China imports around 586,900 tonnes of cherries in 2025, valued at US$3.3 billion. During the signing, the ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to collaborate on biosecurity, particularly addressing foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and expanding market access opportunities for South African agricultural exports.
The partnership is expected to create approximately 600 new job opportunities, aligning with the government's focus on inclusive economic growth and job creation. Furthermore, the deal could pave the way for a similar agreement to export South African blueberries to China, as China has submitted a draft protocol for South African consideration.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
