On Sept. 2, the first shipment of fresh Peruvian bananas arrived in Shanghai via the Chancay–Shanghai shipping route [3]. The shipment weighed 19.6 metric tons and marked the official entry of Peruvian bananas into the Chinese market. Produce Report interviewed the relevant business head of Goodfarmer [4], the shipment’s importer, to learn about the industry and market expectations.

Banana Import Sources Diversify, Peruvian Bananas Await Market Validation

According to reports, China’s current imports of bananas primarily originate from the Philippines, Ecuador, Vietnam and Cambodia. Goodfarmer’s core procurement origins are concentrated in the Philippines, Ecuador and Mexico. As a new origin for the Chinese market, the arrival firmness, ripening performance, taste, shelf life and consumer acceptance of Peruvian bananas still await validation through actual sales data.

The Goodfarmer representative stated that the first shipment will leverage the company’s mature import, cold chain, ripening and end-channel capabilities to accumulate real market feedback, providing a reference sample for the industry from this new production area.

In recent years, China’s banana market has maintained steady development, with the supply system continuously improving and import sources and consumer channels becoming increasingly diverse. From a consumption structure perspective, domestic bananas still dominate, accounting for approximately 80% of total supply in 2024, while imports accounted for about 20%. At the same time, consumer demand is shifting from a sole focus on price to greater emphasis on freshness, taste, quality stability, food safety and branding. Goodfarmer believes that future competition in the banana market will be increasingly reflected in stable supply, quality management and brand building.

Chancay Port Facilitates Entry of South American Bananas Into China

The market access process for Peruvian bananas spanned several years. On Oct. 31, 2025, China and Peru signed the relevant phytosanitary protocol [5]. On Dec. 2, China’s General Administration of Customs officially permitted the import of fresh Peruvian bananas meeting the phytosanitary requirements. On July 23, 2026, the first 19.6 metric tons of bananas was finally sent to China from the UPO packing plant in Lambayeque in northern Peru.

Peru is an important banana exporter in South America and one of the world’s leading suppliers of organic bananas. In 2025, Peru exported approximately 140,000 metric tons of bananas, with the main destinations being the Netherlands (45,600 metric tons) and the United States (44,600 metric tons), followed by Italy, Belgium, South Korea and Japan. Peru’s banana production is concentrated in the northern part of the country, with Piura accounting for approximately 80% of national exports, Lambayeque approximately 16% and La Libertad 5%.

The Goodfarmer representative stated that the core significance of establishing a presence in Peruvian bananas lies in further diversifying global sourcing origins to mitigate risks from weather, disease and supply fluctuations in any single production area. Peru’s mature export system, combined with the direct Chancay–Shanghai shipping route, enables more direct trans-Pacific transport, with more controllable transit times and arrival schedules, benefiting subsequent ordering, ripening and sales planning. Goodfarmer’s existing operations already cover cross-border direct procurement, commercial processing, cold chain distribution, ripening and various types of end-channel sales, allowing Peruvian bananas to be directly integrated into the existing supply network with high efficiency.

Peruvian Bananas Positioned as a Differentiated Supplement, Targeting Quality-Conscious Consumption Scenarios

The first shipment of Peruvian bananas will primarily be distributed through retail channels, including large supermarkets, new retail stores, fruit specialty chains and instant retail platforms. Goodfarmer plans to create direct consumer experiences through sampling tastings, ripeness demonstrations and origin introductions, while collecting feedback on taste, ripeness and repurchase intention to inform future promotions. If Peru can achieve consistent batch production and continuous supply, it is expected to further diversify the origin concentration of China’s banana imports and form an effective market supplement.

In the initial phase of market entry, the target consumer groups for Peruvian bananas include families who value quality and freshness, consumers with established habits of purchasing imported fruit, and individuals with frequent on-the-go consumption needs in office, commuting and fitness scenarios. Bananas are naturally portable, easy to eat, and suitable for breakfast and snacks, making breakfast, afternoon tea, office snacks, and pre- and post-workout replenishment all natural consumption occasions.

Images: Goodfarmer