The first Chilean cherry imports of the 2025-26 season arrived by air last month and weekly arrivals have been occurring since.
Chilean distributor Forever Fresh reports the first shipment consisted of eight pallets from Garcés Fruit, harvested in Chile’s central zone.
The shipment was made by air to New York City and included varieties such as Royal Down, Glenn Red, Brooks, and Coral. The second shipment to arrived on, Saturday October 25.
Forever Fresh plans to maintain a flow of shipments every two days, with fruit coming from both Garcés Fruit and Verfrut.
The company noted the first cherries arrived in excellent condition, with outstanding freshness and appearance, being crunchy, with good color and high sugar levels.
In this first stage, Forever Fresh will distribute the product to retailers and wholesalers to meet the initial demand for the season’s early lots.
Chile is riding the coattails of an excellent season by Washington state.
Chile apparently learned a lesson last season that it is not wise to put all of your eggs, or in this case, cherries in one basket.
Chile views the US as an excellent market and opportunity for Chilean cherries. Today, 90 percent of the Andean country’s crop is destined for China, making local producers extremely dependent on the Asian giant. Last year’s oversupply drove prices down dramatically, prompting the question: Should Chile look beyond the East?
Cultivating the US market with counter-seasonal cherries is a great alternative. Thus, market diversification has become a long term goal for Chileans.
There is clear potential in the United States, but Forever Fresh realizes building the market takes time. The company has been investing together with its producers—Garcés, Verfrut, Probex, and Unifrutti—to develop demand and reaccustom consumers to seeing high-quality Chilean fruit during the winter.
The United States imported about 4 million boxes of Chilean cherries last year. Forever Fresh accounted for 25 percent of the market share.
The company projects growth of between 20 percent and 25 percent, with the most important thing being consistency in quality and supply.
It will be of utmost importance to provide that quality and supply for key periods such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Valentine’s Day. Just as it happens in China, where cherries are offered as a gift for the Lunar New Year, Chilean cherries are looking to position themselves as a high-value product and premium gift.
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