Thus and in order to publicize the opportunities that exist for exports of fresh fruit in the city of Dalian, as well as the investments being made to improve airport infrastructure and cold logistics, the top representatives of the Government of the city of Dalian in China and the Dalian Yidu Group Co. LTD company, one of the largest importers, logistics services and cold storage operators in China, held a mass meeting with producers and exporters of fresh fruit from Chile.
In this context, and in order to improve and expand markets for Chilean fruit exports, the Association of Fruit Exporters of Chile, ASOEX, represented by its president Ronald Bown, and Kong Youngze, the director of Dalian Jinpu New District Cross -Border E-Commerce Comprehensive Pilot Area and Trade Cooperation Area, signed a cooperation agreement.
In this regard, Ronald Bown stated: "The possibilities of expanding our exports are related to the opportunities we have to cover the Chinese territory. So far, we have mainly focused on some cities, and, for example, we haven't paid any attention to northern China, even though it has a large population. Obviously, connections are more complex, so this agreement with the Port of Dalian, which also includes the airport and a large population, obviously helps us to expand our opportunities in the Chinese market and, therefore, we are very glad we signed it."
"Currently the Port of Dalian is the fifth most important port for our exports, and we think it could become the second or perhaps the most important one in a while. Thus, we can get to the port of Dalian more directly, which benefits the arrival condition of our fruit," the representative of ASOEX added.
Meanwhile, Kong Youngze said: "This agreement has many advantages, it will improve the overall trade of fresh fruits by promoting direct exports, so consumers will get fruit of the highest quality and in less time, all of which offers the opportunity of improving e-commerce, as it is a growing trend throughout the Chinese market."
Gaining trust and improving opportunities
Liu Zhi, the president and general manager of Yidu, told SimFRUIT that the meeting had also been a way of restoring trust with the Chilean fruit export sector after having been arrested by the Chinese Customs in 2015 and having been investigated for possible fraud, a fact that was later clarified in favor of the President of Yidu.
"Perhaps the main message we wanted to convey today was that things have returned to normal, and that we have important plans for the future. We are trying to take actions that allow us to differentiate ourselves from other importers in China, and that will directly benefit the exports we receive. That's how we are recovering the confidence of our suppliers, showing them that we have the support of the authorities," said Zhi.
The president of Yidu also highlighted the significant investments and plans that they were carrying out in conjunction with the Government of Yidu to improve logistics, cold chain, information and e-commerce. "We are improving our logistics, we know that's where we have the biggest problems, in making sure the fruit is delivered to the consumer in the best condition. We are also improving our cold services, as well as our e-commerce platform and the information that our suppliers receive, so that they know what happens in each area of the export process, and in the Chinese market. We are building a distribution channel, linking the ports of Dalian, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, and Zhengzhou's airport," the executive said.
Given the importance of the electronic commerce in the Chinese market, the executive said, they were seeking to "get rid of many brokers because what the consumer wants is high quality fruit and they want it quickly. This is a way to speed up the process, ensure the fruit arrives in better condition, and lower costs, which will ultimately benefit the consumer."
Meanwhile, Zhang Shikun, the director of the Administrative Committee at the port and airport of Dalian, and director of the New Jipu Administration Area in Dalian, told SimFRUIT: "As a representative of the ports and airports in the area of Dalian I can say that we are working to improve our service so that the products arrive more directly to this area. We hope that, as a result of these improvements, more Chilean fruit arrives in Dalian."
Dalian is a Sub-province city and port in the Liaoning Province, in the northeastern part of the PRC. It is located on the shores of the Bohai Sea, and has a population of over 6 million.
At the end of the day, Liu Zhi and Zhang Shikun signed a joint cooperation agreement, which made it clear that Dalian is serious about its public-private work.
The Chilean industry
Industry representatives said they were optimistic about the plans presented by Yidu and the Government of Dalian, and that they expected the initiatives to be carried out as expected.
"Yidu is and has been a very important importer in China for several years. What they have shown is that it has made new alliances with the government to improve distribution in China, both by sea and by air. We see everything in a good light and we hope it is available soon for our export products," said Cristian Tagle, chairman of Chile's Cherries Committee.
Tagle said that "Yidu handles nearly 15% of the volume exported to China. We will support it so long as we see work, that they are consequent and produce results."
"What this visit shows us is that things are starting to get organized in China. There is more coordination in the public-private work and it is according to law. The fact that our operators in China, as well as in any other market, work following the standards and the government is in a healthy state for the proper distribution of our products," said Andres Armstrong, general director of the Chilean Blueberry Committee.
"We have always believed in Yidu and the Government of Dalian. It is clear that they are making efforts to improve the distribution of our fruits. We mainly work with blueberries, apples, plums, and table grapes," said Pablo Alessandrini, general manager of LaFrut.
