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. Apparent consumption 5. Tropical fruit consumption in China is concentrated in the southern regions where these fruits are cultivated or originate from cross-border trade with Viet Nam and China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region 2 .
Pineapple is the only tropical fruit, apart from bananas, which is consumed nationally.
A household survey conducted by the State Statistical Bureau between 1995-1997 in urban areas showed annual per caput consumption of pineapples was 0.3 kg yearly, longans 0.3 kg and lychees was 0.5 kg, compared to mandarins 4.3 kg, oranges 1.4 kg and bananas 2.2 kg. As for processed products, canned fruit is the most popular item followed by juices, then jam. These provinces have the greatest potential for expansion, but much will depend on their economic development. In the last twenty years, the Chinese economy has developed rapidly with real annual GDP growth rates averaging 9.8 percent. Chinese foreign trade has also grown rapidly and the country now ranks among the top 10 trading countries in the world.