Market access expands for U.S. grown apples to China

Agreement expected to boost apple exports by $100 million per year.

WASHINGTON- This weekend, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reached agreement with Chinese officials to allow all U.S. grown apples to gain access to the Chinese market, according to a press release from the USDA. This will allow a greater share of U.S. apple exports to China in the coming months and has the potential to increase U.S. fresh apple exports, which were valued at more than $1 billion in 2013, by approximately 10 percent. With this new agreement, the apple industry estimates that within two years, exports to China will reach 5 million bushels annually, a value of nearly $100 million per year. The agreement was reached during bilateral discussions between USDA and China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) in San Francisco.

For more information, read USDA's Factsheet