In 1997 fruit production reached 50.9 million tonnes, making China the largest fruit-producing country in the world. The major tropical fruits produced in China include bananas, lychees, longans, pineapples, pomelos and mangoes. However, collectively they account for less than 10 percent of production. Production of major tropical fruits by region is shown in Table 2. Other tropical fruits including carambola, papayas, and guavas are also produced, mainly in the southern provinces, but in smaller quantities.
China is a net fruit exporting country.
Both exports and imports have increased rapidly in recent years. Generally, China exports temperate fruits and imports tropical fruits. Mandarins, apples, pears and apricots were the dominant exports, while bananas, longans and longan pulp, mangoes and mangosteens were the major imports. Larger purchases of bananas were mostly responsible for the surge in imports in recent years. Hebei, Liaoning, Guangdong and Shandong Provinces, followed by Shanghai and Beijing dominated market shares of imported fruit.