South Korea ships first sweet persimmons to China after 17 years of talks

South Korea sent its first shipment of fresh sweet persimmons to China on Friday, opening a new market for growers after 17 years of plant quarantine negotiations.

The shipment of 19.6 metric tons, packed in 1,960 boxes, left the Port of Busan and was expected to reach Shanghai on Nov. 10, South Korea's Agriculture Ministry said. Local importers will distribute the fruit to upscale retailers, including City Super.

Growers, exporters and government officials marked the shipment at the Dong-eup Agricultural Cooperative in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, the city which accounted for 99 percent of South Korea's sweet persimmon exports in 2025.

Quarantine talks began in 2008. The two countries signed an agreement setting plant health requirements on Nov. 1, 2025, during a meeting between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province.

Chinese authorities registered 25 South Korean orchards and six packing facilities on Oct. 30, completing the approval process about a month ahead of schedule, the ministry said.

South Korea exported 3,217 metric tons of sweet persimmons in 2025, with about 80 percent going to five markets, including the Philippines, Malaysia and Hong Kong. The ministry said access to China, the world's largest producer and consumer of persimmons, could help growers diversify sales and ease pressure on domestic prices during harvest.

The ministry and the Korea Agro-Fisheries & Food Trade Corp. plan promotions in China in Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen through the end of the year. They will market the fruit as a premium product that can be eaten while still crisp, without waiting for it to soften. Tasting events and meetings with buyers are scheduled for Nov. 21-24 in Shenzhen, following this year's APEC summit.