Export lane readiness · South Africa → China
South African cherries to China: cold-chain readiness checklist
China allowed South African fresh sweet cherries under GACC Announcement No. 140, signed 21 September 2026, but only from orchards, packhouses and treatment facilities registered by both countries, with cold treatment (for example 1.11 °C pulp temperature or below for 14 days) or methyl bromide fumigation. Reuters reported on 21 October 2026 that China had not yet confirmed the first shipment. Stone fruit is not covered by these sources. Confirm registration and shipment status before investing.
Regulatory status checked 25 October 2026 against the GACC announcement and Reuters. Status can change; re-check the GACC register before each season.
Also in: 中文
ColdMatch is a buyer-side procurement platform of Global B2B Group for refrigeration and cold-chain equipment and facilities. It does not buy, sell or export cherries, operate or book transport, certify treatments or hold contracts on this lane. Managed sourcing serves projects from USD 250,000 and is free for buyers.
Readiness checklist
Each row shows what the primary source states, its status, and who must confirm the rest. Rows without a source are left open on purpose.
| Area | What the primary source states (date) | Status | Who confirms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regulatory status | Imports of South African fresh cherries meeting the protocol permitted with immediate effect (GACC No. 140, signed 21 Sep 2026, posted 23 Sep 2026) | Verified | GACC notices |
| Shipment readiness | Before the first shipment, China must confirm all requirements are met; the agriculture minister expected approval by year-end (Reuters, 21 Oct 2026) | Pending official confirmation | South African Department of Agriculture; GACC |
| Product scope | Fresh sweet cherries, Prunus avium, from South African cherry-producing areas (GACC No. 140) | Verified | — |
| Stone fruit | Not covered by the sources used for this page | To confirm (human) | GACC admissibility list; South African plant-health authority |
| Registrations | Orchards, packhouses and treatment facilities must be approved by South Africa and jointly registered; the list is published on the GACC website before each season (GACC No. 140) | Rule verified — your status to confirm | Exporter; South African Department of Agriculture |
| Product temperature | Cold-treatment pulp temperatures are set (see treatment table). No storage temperature or humidity for cherries is stated in the announcement | Rule verified — your status to confirm | Exporter's postharvest technologist |
| Pre-cooling | No pre-cooling method or time is stated. Packed fruit must be stored immediately and separately to avoid reinfestation (GACC No. 140) | To confirm (human) | Packhouse technologist |
| Cold storage | Receiving, processing, treatment and storage areas must be separated from fruit not for China (GACC No. 140) | Rule verified — your status to confirm | Packhouse; plant-health inspector |
| Reefer transport | Cold treatment may be done in transit under the in-transit procedure (Annex 2); containers must be clean and protected against pests at loading (GACC No. 140) | Rule verified — your status to confirm | Shipping line; annex procedure |
| Temperature monitoring | China checks the cold-treatment report and fruit-probe calibration records on arrival (GACC No. 140). Probe number and placement are in annexes not reviewed here | Rule verified — your status to confirm | Treatment provider; annexes 1 and 2 |
| Transit time | Not stated in the sources | To confirm (human) | Shipping line |
| Destination infrastructure | Fruit must enter through ports approved for fruit imports (GACC No. 140). Port cold storage is not described | To confirm (human) | Chinese importer; port operator |
| Contingency | Failed treatment: treatment at the port if still possible in the container, return or destruction. Live quarantine pests: return, destruction or treatment (GACC No. 140) | Rule verified — your status to confirm | Exporter and importer contract |
| Permits and documents | Importer needs an Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine Permit; phytosanitary certificate with orchard and packhouse registration numbers, container number, treatment details and the protocol declaration (GACC No. 140) | Rule verified — your status to confirm | Importer; South African plant-health authority |
| Packaging and labelling | New, clean packaging; wood to ISPM 15; English labels with fruit, country, area, orchard and packhouse registration numbers; 'Exported to the People's Republic of China' on boxes and pallets (GACC No. 140) | Rule verified — your status to confirm | Packhouse |
ColdMatch summarises the official text; it did not verify any registration, shipment or treatment. The Chinese original of GACC No. 140 prevails.
Treatment options in GACC Announcement No. 140
The fruit pulp, not the air or setpoint, must stay at or below the stated temperature for the full duration.
| Option | Pulp temperature | Minimum duration | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cold treatment 1 | 1.11 °C or below | 14 days or more | Before export or in transit |
| Cold treatment 2 | 1.67 °C or below | 16 days or more | Before export or in transit |
| Cold treatment 3 | 2.22 °C or below | 18 days or more | Before export or in transit |
| Fumigation | Methyl bromide, 32 g/m³ at 21.1 °C or above (concentration limits in the announcement) | 2 hours | Before export |
Source: GACC Announcement No. 140 of 2026, section 6(4). Treatments run under South African official supervision.
What to plan before the season
Registration decides whether a packhouse can ship at all, so confirm it first. Then choose the treatment route: a cold-treatment room before export needs rooms that hold the protocol pulp temperature for 14–18 days with calibrated probes; in-transit treatment moves that requirement into the reefer and the voyage. Reuters reported growers aim for September–October, before Chilean supply, which makes harvest-peak pre-cooling and storage capacity the sizing basis.
- Size pre-cooling and cold rooms for the harvest-day peak, not the season average
- Keep China-bound fruit physically separated in the packhouse
- Agree probe calibration, data download and treatment reports before the first container
Where ColdMatch fits
ColdMatch turns this checklist into one comparable project brief for pre-cooling, cold-treatment rooms, packhouse cold storage and monitoring equipment, contacts suitable suppliers on the buyer's behalf and presents organised responses. It does not trade fruit, arrange treatments or guarantee market access. Buyers of the cherries themselves can use Global B2B Group.
Build your lane project RFQ
Describe the cold-chain project for this lane. Nothing is sent from this page: the button opens the ColdMatch RFQ form with your answers filled in, where you review and submit. Empty fields and open checklist items are marked for human confirmation.
Preview the brief sent to the RFQ form
The brief is written in English for the ColdMatch team.
[Export lane readiness] Lane: south-africa-cherries-china Commodity: Fresh sweet cherries Origin: South Africa Destination: China Project site: origin Volume: not stated Seasonal window: not stated Temperature range: not stated Packaging: not stated Transit expectations: not stated Service scope: not stated ColdMatch scope: refrigeration and cold-chain equipment/facility procurement only; no produce or seafood trading, no transport operation or booking. TO CONFIRM (human): Volume; Seasonal window; Temperature range (confirm with the exporter's technologist or the official requirement); Packaging; Transit mode and time; Service scope; Shipment readiness; Stone fruit; Pre-cooling; Transit time; Destination infrastructure
From checklist to project RFQ
- Confirm registration and shipment status with the plant-health authority.
- Choose the treatment route and note the open items in the checklist.
- Fill in the lane RFQ above and continue to the RFQ form.
- Review and submit; the ColdMatch team checks the brief and contacts suitable suppliers.
Related Global B2B Group platforms
- Global B2B Group
Buying cherries themselves? Source commodities through Global B2B Group with a team-reviewed buyer RFQ.
Related ColdMatch resources
Frequently asked questions
Can South African cherries ship to China now?
GACC Announcement No. 140 permits them under the protocol, but Reuters reported on 21 October 2026 that China must still confirm the requirements are met before the first shipment. Check GACC notices and the published register before shipping.
Which cold-treatment options are allowed?
Pulp temperature of 1.11 °C or below for at least 14 days, 1.67 °C or below for at least 16 days, or 2.22 °C or below for at least 18 days, before export or in transit, or methyl bromide fumigation before export (GACC No. 140).
Is South African stone fruit covered?
Not by the sources used here. Its access status and treatment rules must be confirmed in the GACC admissibility list for the specific fruit.
Does ColdMatch export cherries or book reefers?
No. ColdMatch procures cold-chain equipment and facilities for buyers from USD 250,000. It does not trade fruit, operate or book transport, or hold contracts on this lane.