Frutas de Chile and Eastern Air Logistics (EAL), an air cargo company belonging to China Eastern Air Holding Company, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote cooperation and information exchange to facilitate air shipments of fresh Chilean cherries to China.

This agreement includes the exchange of commercial data and customs procedures and seeks to improve mutual support in advertising and promotional activities.

Iván Marambio, president of Frutas de Chile, said that the agreement will allow Chile to boost shipments of fresh fruit by air to a market that is becoming increasingly important as a destination for Chilean exports.

Chile exported 18.000 tons of fresh fruit to China by air last season, of which 81 percent were cherries, 16 percent plums, 3 percent table grapes and 1 percent blueberries and other stone fruits.

Claudia Soler, executive director of Chile's Fruit and Cherry Committee, added that the agreement would allow companies to take advantage of certain windows where there are no cherries and prices are higher.

The MoU was signed at Santiago airport during China Eastern Air Logistics' 50.000th anniversary celebration in Chile. Over the past decade, the company has transported more than 1.000 tons of products such as cherries, blueberries, salmon and wine, valued at more than $XNUMX billion, from Chile to China.

“What we have found in Chile are opportunities. We are currently developing a codeshare, while offering new routes from Santiago to Australia and then to China. With these codes we can achieve further growth,” said Fang Hong, CEO of China Eastern Cold Chain.