7,700 tonnes of Chilean cherries arrive at Shanghai port

A container ship carrying 7,700 tonnes of Chilean cherries arrived at Shanghai's Yangshan Port on Tuesday, adding to the festive mood of China's upcoming holiday season.

The port customs said it took 23 days for the 378 containers of cherries to arrive, while two more "cherry ships" are about to depart Chile and set sail to Shanghai for the Spring Festival shopping boom.

The customs said the cherries will be cleared within 24 hours and put on dining room tables of Chinese consumers on New Year's Day at the earliest.

According to Chile's Fruit Exporters Association, 88 percent of the harvest in the 2018-2019 season was shipped to China, and the figure in the 2019-2020 season is expected to match or surpass that record.