California nectarines from select regions have been granted access to the Chinese market, the Asian country's authorities announced on March 4 with immediate effect.

The fruit set for export to China must originate from the growing regions of Fresno, Tulare, Kern, Kings or Madera counties in the San Joaquin Valley.

To meet Chinese phytosanitary requirements, the USDA must establish a system of traceability in conjunction with packaging facilities of California nectarines.

Orchards that export their fruit to China must adopt integrated pest management strategies in accordance with the University of California’s Integrated Pest Management Guidelines.

Chinese nectarine imports have been rising over recent years. Chile and Australia, the two main suppliers, both gained access in 2016. 

Nectarine shipments from Chile have been rising significantly and reached over 20,000MT in the 2019-20 season. Volumes from Australia are lower, as the country only exports around 15% of the peaches and nectarines produced annually.

California produces around 95% of the nectarines grown in the U.S.

In 2019 the country exported a total of US$116m of peaches and nectarines, according to the International Trade Center (data for nectarines alone is not available). The majority of the volumes went to Canada, Mexico and Taiwan.