BRI and CIIE brighten China's fruit basket

Dole, one of the world's largest producers and distributors of high-quality fresh fruit, ventured into the Chinese market in 1998. It quickly established a solid reputation among supermarkets and wholesalers within the industry. However, its limited number of direct outlets hindered its visibility among consumers.

The tide shifted in 2018 when the company began participating in the China International Import Expo, which caused its brand awareness to soar. Notably, products like super sweet bananas, golden pineapples, Philippine avocados and Thai aromatic coconuts were hailed as "star products" at the CIIE and quickly gained nationwide popularity.

"Participating in the China International Import Expo for six years has been a transformative period for Dole," said Wang Na, director of Dole China's market department, said in a recent interview with China News Service. She emphasized that through its active involvement in the CIIE, Dole was able to significantly boost its brand recognition in the Chinese market and successfully expand its distribution networks and business reach.

"Dole's exceptional performance and reputation at the expo quickly reverberated nationwide, establishing the company as a true player in the Chinese market," said Wang.

This year marks both the sixth anniversary of the CIIE and the 10th year since the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative. As a multinational company in the fruit and vegetable production and sales sector, Dole has introduced over 100 types of produce from countries and regions taking part in the BRI into China, including Chilean cherries and Peruvian blueberries. Wang said that with the benefits of the BRI, the company can efficiently deliver high-quality fruits and vegetables from overseas regions to Chinese tables, allowing consumers in the Northern Hemisphere to enjoy fruits and vegetables from the Southern Hemisphere at any time.

Dole will showcase more than 70 fruit and vegetable products at the 2023 CUE, with the highlight being the Philippine Golden Puyat durians, which was approved for the Chinese market earlier this year. Before 2023, only durians from Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam were permitted here. Dole introduced the fruit from Philippine to China when the first batch arrived on April 7.

"Dole remains bullish in the Chinese market and will continue to deepen its presence and expand investments in China alongside the CIIE. We will also keep developing new products," said Wang.