Negotiations are ongoing between the Australian avocado advocacy group and Chinese importers to agree on phytosanitary protocols to allow market access to the Asian country. 

CEO of Avocados Australia, John Tyas, says importers are keen on the product, and they hope that ongoing negotiations can advance quickly. 

However, China has strict sanitary and phytosanitary standards for fresh produce, known for long delays in negotiations over agricultural export deals.

According to Avocados Australia, the advocacy group for the Australian avocado industry, Canberra is also trying to negotiate access for apples and blueberries to the Chinese market, while Beijing is trying to get its jujube, or red dates, and kiwi fruits into the Australian market.

“Avocados can be the next product to be negotiated for access to China,” Tyas added.

“We need to demonstrate to our government that avocados are worth investing in [because] it’s a very large and growing industry in Australia [that] employs a lot of people,” he added.

To better understand the market, members of the industry plan on visiting Yunnan to meet with Chinese retailers and wholesalers.

According to figures from China’s customs administration, export and import volumes of avocados surged by 311% to 65,600 ton between 2015 and 2023, while the total trade value rose by 235% to US$106 million during the same period. Demand is increasing, offering great opportunities for all sources. 

“It will grow over time. I think China will always struggle to meet the demand that we’re expecting to come in,” Tyas said.

South Africa, Peru, Chile, Mexico, the Philippines, Colombia, New Zealand, Vietnam, and the United States are currently the main avocado suppliers to China.