What box do I need to export cherries?

For sea freight to China, Korea and other Asian wholesale markets: a 5 kg corrugated box, 50 by 30 cm footprint, 10 to 12 cm high, bottom and lid in B or C flute moisture-resistant board, with a MAP or micro-perforated liner inside. Retail and e-commerce programs use a 2.5 kg box on a 40 by 30 or 50 by 30 cm footprint, two to a 40 by 30 cm master. The U.S. domestic trade uses 20 lb and 18 lb loose lugs and 15 to 18 lb cartons of 1 to 2 lb clamshells or pouch bags. Take the format from your receiver's spec sheet, then size the board for 30 to 45 days at 0 degrees C and 90 to 95 percent humidity.

How many 5 kg cherry boxes fit on a pallet and in a 40 ft reefer?

On a 1200 by 1000 mm pallet, 8 boxes of 50 by 30 cm per layer and 16 to 18 layers: 128 to 144 boxes, 640 to 720 kg of fruit. The same 8-per-layer pattern fits a 48 by 40 in pallet. A 40 ft high-cube reefer takes 20 pallets: 2,560 to 2,880 boxes, 12.8 to 14.4 t. The 2.5 kg box goes 10 per layer and 26 to 28 layers, 260 to 280 per pallet and 5,200 to 5,600 per reefer. Allow 2 to 3 cm for the top cap and grid and 7 to 14 straps, and confirm the pattern against the final box drawing.

What temperature and humidity do cherries need in transit, and what does that do to the box?

UC Davis Postharvest recommends minus 0.5 plus or minus 0.5 degrees C and 90 to 95 percent relative humidity. Fruit is hydrocooled in 0 to 1 degree C water, so the box starts wet and then sits in near-saturated air for 23 to 40 days by sea. Fibre Box Association factors put the compression loss at 32 percent at 80 percent humidity, and a saturated box can lose up to half its dry value. Specify box compression after 24 hours at 90 percent humidity, moisture-resistant liners and water-resistant glue, and use PP corrugated plastic for trays that go through hydrocooling repeatedly.

MAP liner or micro-perforated liner: which one for export cherries?

A heat-sealed MAP liner uses the fruit's own respiration to lower oxygen and raise carbon dioxide and is the choice for 30 to 45 days by sea; WSU trials ran MAP at about 15 percent oxygen and 5 percent carbon dioxide and recorded better stem color, higher firmness and lower weight loss than regular air. UC Davis gives the safe window as 3 to 10 percent oxygen and 10 to 15 percent carbon dioxide. A micro-perforated liner holds humidity but stays near normal air, costs less and suits air freight and sea legs of up to about two weeks.

Corrugated carton or PP corrugated plastic box for cherries?

Corrugated cartons for the one-way export leg: printed, accepted by every receiver and lighter in the reefer. PP corrugated plastic boxes for the loops that come back wet: harvest lugs, hydrocooling and staging trays, and dividers or corner grids inside a paper master. A foldable PP corrugated plastic box does not absorb water, can be washed and disinfected and folds flat for the return truck. Most packhouses run both: plastic from orchard to packing line, paper from packing line to the importer.

When should a cherry packer order boxes and liner bags for the season?

Approve artwork 10 to 12 weeks before the first packing day: 1 to 2 weeks for drawings and samples, 3 to 4 weeks of production, 30 to 45 days by sea and about a week to the packhouse. For Chilean early varieties packed from late October, confirm in August; for the December to mid-January peak, confirm in October; Northwest packers shipping from June should confirm by March. Liner bags can fly in 5 to 7 days if the season starts early, boxes cannot.

Cherry Export Boxes: the 5 kg and 2.5 kg Formats, U.S. 20 lb and 15 lb Lugs, Boxes per Pallet and per Reefer, MAP Liners, Cold-Chain Board Specs and When to Order

Fuxing Development Group · Updated October 21, 2026 · For Chilean exporters packing for China, Korea and the U.S., Pacific Northwest and California shippers, and importers and repackers in Asia and North America · Versión en español

Quick answer: For sea freight to Asia the box is a 5 kg corrugated box, 50 × 30 cm footprint, 10 to 12 cm high, bottom and lid in B or C flute moisture-resistant board, with a heat-sealed MAP liner inside; retail and e-commerce programs use a 2.5 kg box on a 40 × 30 or 50 × 30 cm footprint, two to a 40 × 30 cm master. The U.S. domestic trade packs 20 lb and 18 lb loose lugs and 15 to 18 lb cartons of 1 to 2 lb clamshells or pouch bags. A 1200 × 1000 mm or 48 × 40 in pallet carries 8 five-kilo boxes per layer, 128 to 144 per pallet; a 40 ft reefer carries 2,560 to 2,880 boxes, 12.8 to 14.4 t. The fruit travels at −0.5 ± 0.5 °C and 90 to 95 % RH for 23 to 40 days by sea, so specify compression after humid conditioning, not the dry value. Chile shipped about 114 million boxes in 2025/26, 87 % to China; USDA forecasts 667,000 t of exports in 2026/27. Approve artwork 10 to 12 weeks before the first packing day; the 12-item data checklist is at the end of this page.

Why the cherry box is being re-specified for 2026/27

Sweet cherry is Chile's most valuable fresh-fruit export and the Pacific Northwest's most export-dependent crop, and in both origins it moves in a few standardized boxes that must keep a perishable fruit cold, humid and uncrushed for two days by air or six weeks by sea. Five numbers on the buyer's desk this season touch the box directly.

Fact	Figure	What it means for the box	Source
Chilean exports 2025/26	About 114 million boxes (5 kg equivalents), down about 10 % from 126 million; about 98 million to China; China share 87 % (from 92 %), U.S. 4 % (from 3 %); 569,492 t	About 114 million 5 kg boxes and liners in a 12-week window; the 5 kg box is still the planning unit, but the U.S. and other markets need their own formats	Frutas de Chile via FreshPlaza, March 2026; USDA FAS, August 2026
Chilean forecast 2026/27	727,000 t production (+16 %), 667,000 t exports, 80,000 ha planted (77,766 ha in 2025/26); Maule and O'Higgins hold more than 80 % of the acreage	Record volume returns; book box and liner capacity earlier than in 2025/26, when concentrated arrivals in China caused logistics problems	USDA FAS GAIN Stone Fruit Annual, Santiago, CI2026-0009, August 2026
Sea transit Chile to China	Cherry Express direct services: 23 days against about 30 days standard; 32 nonstop services scheduled for 2025/26, double the 16 of the prior season	Box and liner are designed for 23 to 40 days at 0 °C and saturated humidity, not the 10 to 14 day life of a domestic carton	MercoPress, November 2025; Produce Report, September 2022
Pacific Northwest exports	More than 30 % of the crop is exported, about 90 % of it by air; Canada and China each take about 3 million 20 lb cartons a year; shippers use 5 kg and 20 lb loose packs and gift boxes	The U.S. export box is an air box: low tare, fast cooling, repacked on arrival. The Chilean export box is a sea box. The specs are not interchangeable	The Packer, September 2022 (Northwest Cherry Growers)
Storage recommendation	−0.5 ± 0.5 °C (31 ± 1 °F), 90 to 95 % RH; respiration 3 to 5 mL CO₂/kg·h at 0 °C against 22 to 28 at 20 °C; CA/MAP window 3 to 10 % O₂ and 10 to 15 % CO₂	Respiration rises steeply above 0 °C; the board sits for weeks at the humidity at which paper is weakest	UC Davis Postharvest, Cherry Produce Facts (Crisosto, Mitcham, Kader)

Box-equivalent figures are simple arithmetic at 5 kg per box and ignore 2.5 kg and gift formats; read them as orders of magnitude. This page is packaging guidance, not customs or market advice.

Box formats by market

Sizes come from Chilean exporter pack specifications, U.S. trade listings and our own drawings. The exact die line comes from your receiver's specification sheet; in China and Korea it is often dictated by the importer's pallet and cold-room racking.

Format	Net weight	Outer dimensions	Typical market	Board and style
5 kg bulk export box	5 kg (11 lb)	50 × 30 cm footprint, 10 to 12 cm high	China wholesale, Korea, Taiwan, U.S. importers of Chilean fruit (listed as 11 lb cartons)	Bottom and telescoping lid, B or C flute, moisture-resistant kraft or white-top liner, water-resistant glue; MAP or micro-perforated liner; 2 to 6 color flexo or up to 8 colors offset-laminated
2.5 kg box	2.5 kg	40 × 30 or 50 × 30 cm footprint, 6 to 8 cm high	Asian supermarkets and e-commerce (the JJ-grade 2.5 kg retail box in China), Korea, U.S. club stores	Bottom and lid, E flute lid for print quality, B flute bottom; two boxes per 40 × 30 cm master
2 kg and 1 kg gift and e-commerce cartons	1 to 2.5 kg	Varies; sized so 4 to 6 cartons fill a 60 × 40 cm master	Chinese New Year gifting, online retail in China, Korea and Southeast Asia	Laminated or micro-flute (E or F), varnish or foil, carry handle; shipped in a 60 × 40 cm closed master
20 lb loose lug	20 lb (9.1 kg); California uses 18 lb	Receiver-specific; one-piece tray or Euro-style carton	U.S. and Canadian domestic trade, Northwest and California; repacked on arrival in export markets	Single-wall C flute tray, moisture-resistant kraft; row-size and variety printed; often bagged in a single liner
15 to 18 lb retail-pack cartons	16 lb (8 × 2 lb or 16 × 1 lb clamshells; 4 × 4 lb clamshells), 18 lb (8 × 2.25 lb or 12 × 1.5 lb bags), 15 lb (12 × 1.25 lb bags, Rainier), 24 lb (12 × 2 lb bags)	Euro carton footprint matching the 48 × 40 in pallet	U.S. and Canadian retail; Northwest and California	Euro-style tray with display panel, B or C flute; clamshells in PET or rPET, pouch bags in micro-perforated PE or PP
Retail clamshell and pouch	1 lb, 2 lb, 4 lb clamshells; 1.25 to 2.25 lb pouches; 500 g to 1 kg in Asia	Set by the master carton grid	Supermarket shelf and online grocery	Thermoformed clamshell or stand-up pouch; see our clamshells and zipper and pouch bags pages

U.S. pack weights and clamshell counts: Produce Market Guide listings (Chilean cherries appear there as 11 lb cartons). Asian dimensions: Chilean exporter practice as compiled on our Spanish cherry page. The 2 kg and 1 kg master arithmetic is our planning note, not a trade standard. The two-box 40 × 30 cm master is in the pallet table below.

Boxes per pallet and per container

Cherries are a low-density load: a 40 ft reefer of 5 kg boxes carries 12.8 to 14.4 t of fruit, so the container fills by volume and load height, not weight. Eight 50 × 30 cm boxes tile a 1200 × 1000 mm pallet exactly; the same 8-per-layer pattern tiles a 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm) pallet, four boxes along the long side and two along the short side, which is why Chilean boxes repack cleanly in U.S. distribution centers.

Format	Boxes per layer	Layers	Boxes per pallet	Fruit per pallet	Per 40 ft HC reefer (20 pallets)
5 kg, 50 × 30 × 11 cm	8 (1200 × 1000 mm or 48 × 40 in)	16 to 18	128 to 144	640 to 720 kg	2,560 to 2,880 boxes; 12.8 to 14.4 t
2.5 kg, 40 × 30 × 7 cm	10	26 to 28	260 to 280	650 to 700 kg	5,200 to 5,600 boxes; 13 to 14 t
2.5 kg master, 40 × 30 × 14 cm (2 boxes)	10 masters	13 to 14	130 to 140 masters (260 to 280 boxes)	650 to 700 kg	2,600 to 2,800 masters; 13 to 14 t

Load height 2.0 to 2.1 m; reserve 2 to 3 cm for the top cap and corner grid and plan 7 to 14 horizontal straps per pallet. Air freight is booked by ULD and chargeable weight; the box count per ULD depends on the airline's container, so ask the forwarder for the ULD contour before fixing the box height. Counts are Fuxing planning estimates to be checked against the final box drawing. Stacking rules for PP corrugated plastic harvest lugs are in the PP box palletization and assembly guide.

What the box has to survive: hydrocooling, 0 °C and 23 to 40 days at saturated humidity

The export cherry box is the hardest service a produce carton sees. Fruit is hydrocooled in 0 to 1 °C water, so the board starts wet. It is then held at −0.5 ± 0.5 °C and 90 to 95 % relative humidity, with a MAP liner that keeps the inside of the box near 100 % humidity, for 23 days on a direct Chile-to-China service and up to 40 days with transshipment. Paper loses compression strength as it takes up water: Fibre Box Association factors put the loss at 32 % at 80 % RH, and a saturated box can lose up to half its dry value. Compare suppliers on box compression after 24 hours of conditioning at 90 % RH with the final pallet height and a safety factor for the voyage, not on the dry BCT on the quotation.

Condition	Value	Sea (Chile to Asia) vs air (Northwest, early Chilean fruit)	Board and box requirement
Hydrocooling	0 to 1 °C water, before or after packing	Standard in both	Water-resistant adhesive, moisture-resistant or wet-strength liners; PP corrugated plastic trays for repeated use
Temperature	−0.5 ± 0.5 °C (31 ± 1 °F)	Reefer set point 0 °C with CA or MAP; air: pre-cooled, insulated ULD cover	Adhesive and print must not crack or delaminate at −1 °C
Relative humidity	90 to 95 % in the room; near 100 % inside a MAP liner	Sea: 23 to 40 days exposure; air: days	Specify BCT after 24 h at 90 % RH, with a stacking factor for 16 to 18 layers of 5 kg
Transit time	Cherry Express 23 days; standard routing about 30; up to 40 with transshipment	Sea carries most Chilean fruit (about 18,500 forty-foot containers to China planned for 2022/23); about 90 % of Northwest exports fly	Sea: double-wall or heavy C flute bottom, telescoping lid, MAP liner. Air: single-wall, low tare, micro-perforated liner
Respiration	3 to 5 mL CO₂/kg·h at 0 °C; 15 to 17 at 10 °C; 22 to 28 at 20 °C	Sea: liner permeability set for 0 °C; air: open or micro-perforated liner	The liner manages gas; the box must not pinch the gusset or trap condensation against the board
Compression	16 to 18 layers, 640 to 720 kg fruit plus board; sometimes double-stacked in the importer's cold room	Sea: full voyage; air: hours	Corner posts or a PP corrugated plastic grid in the master; vents aligned layer to layer; no pallet overhang

Source: UC Davis Postharvest (temperature, humidity, respiration); MercoPress, 2025 and Produce Report, 2022 (transit); Fibre Box Association factor as cited by R. Popil, Georgia Tech, 2019 (humidity strength). Box grades are Fuxing engineering practice; test methods are in the produce export packaging guide.

MAP liner or micro-perforated liner

The liner decides shelf life more than the box does. A modified-atmosphere (MAP) liner is a heat-sealed bag whose film permeability is matched to the fruit's respiration at 0 °C, so the cherries pull oxygen down and push carbon dioxide up to a steady state. A micro-perforated liner is laser-perforated film that holds humidity and stops stem drying but stays near normal air. Materials, microns and perforation counts are in our cherry MAP bags guide; the decision logic is below.

Point	MAP liner (heat-sealed)	Micro-perforated liner
Atmosphere reached	WSU trials: about 15 % O₂ and 5 % CO₂; UC Davis safe window 3 to 10 % O₂ and 10 to 15 % CO₂	Near ambient air; humidity retention only
Risk limits	Below 1 % O₂: skin pitting and off-flavors; above 30 % CO₂: brown skin and off-flavors (UC Davis)	No gas risk; stem browning and weight loss arrive sooner
Transit it is designed for	30 to 45 days by sea; WSU recorded better stem color, higher firmness and lower weight loss than regular air	Air freight and sea legs of up to about two weeks; domestic U.S. lugs
Closure and fittings	Heat seal on the packing line; gusset sized to the 50 × 30 or 40 × 30 cm box; absorbent pad under the fruit	Folded or taped closure, or heat seal; same gusset and pad
Cost and lead time	Higher; film is specified per variety and per box weight; order with the boxes	Lower; faster to produce; can fly in 5 to 7 days if the season starts early
Where it fails	Fruit loaded warm or liner sealed before the box is cold: gas drifts outside the window	Long sea voyages: stems brown and fruit softens before arrival

Gas figures are from UC Davis Postharvest and WSU Tree Fruit (Bolaños and Torres, June 2026); the WSU trial stored fruit at 0.5 °C and more than 95 % RH after hydrocooling and assessed at 15, 30 and 45 days.

Corrugated carton or PP corrugated plastic box

The export carton is a one-way package and should stay one: it is printed, every receiver accepts it, and it is lighter in the reefer. The loops that come back wet are where board is wasted and packers switch to plastic: the harvest lug, the hydrocooling tray, the staging bins where fruit waits for sizing, and the dividers or corner grids inside a paper master that must hold shape after hydrocooling. A foldable 4 to 5 mm PP corrugated plastic box does not absorb water, can be washed and disinfected, folds flat for the return truck and lasts several seasons. Sheet grades and sizes are on our PP corrugated plastic boxes page; the one-way export leg is covered on the corrugated cartons page.

Season calendar and when to order

Lead time for packaging shipped by sea: 1 to 2 weeks for drawings, samples and artwork approval, 3 to 4 weeks at the factory, 30 to 45 days by sea to San Antonio or Valparaíso (Chile) or a U.S. West Coast port, and about one week to the packhouse. Approve artwork 10 to 12 weeks before the first packing day and ask for the production and sailing schedule in writing with the quotation.

Window	First packing	Confirm the order by	What to buy
Chile, early varieties (Royal Dawn, Brooks, Santina early blocks)	Late October to November	August	5 kg box, micro-perforated liner for air, MAP liner for the first vessels, PP corrugated plastic harvest lugs
Chile, peak (Santina, Lapins, Regina)	December to mid-January; Hapag-Lloyd expected about 63 % of the 2022/23 season to ship in weeks 49 to 51	October	5 kg and 2.5 kg boxes with MAP liners, 40 × 30 masters, gift cartons for Chinese New Year (February 6, 2027)
Chile, season close	January to February	November	Replenishment of 5 kg boxes and liners; late-variety labels
Pacific Northwest and California	June to August	March	20 lb and 18 lb lugs, 15 to 18 lb clamshell and pouch cartons, 5 kg air export boxes, gift boxes for Asia

If the order is late there are two ways out: unprinted or single-color boxes in a standard die (2 to 3 weeks at the factory), or liner bags by air in 5 to 7 days while the boxes follow by sea. For the 2026/27 Chilean peak the October confirmation date is still open as this page is published.

The 12 data points a supplier needs to quote cherry boxes within 12 hours

#	Tell the supplier	Why it matters
1	Format and net weight: 5 kg, 2.5 kg, 2 kg gift, 20 lb lug, 16 lb clamshell carton	Fixes footprint, pallet pattern and liner size
2	Outer and inner dimensions in mm, or the receiver's die line	A 10 mm height error changes the layer count
3	Box style: bottom and lid, open tray, RSC master, display panel	Sets blanks, gluing and lid tolerance
4	Flute and walls: B, C, E or BC double-wall; liner and medium basis weights if known	Sets the board combination and the price per thousand
5	Required BCT after 24 h at 90 % RH, or the pallet height and layers you stack	We size the board to the humid value, not the dry one
6	Hydrocooling: before packing, after packing, or none	Water-resistant adhesive and wet-strength liners, or PP corrugated plastic trays
7	Print: number of colors, flexo or offset-laminated, varnish, FSC or receiver logos, label panel	Artwork and plate lead time; 8-color laminated gift boxes take longest
8	Vents: percentage, position and whether they must align with the liner gusset	Cooling speed and compression are traded against each other
9	Liner: MAP or micro-perforated, variety, target transit days, absorbent pad yes or no	Liner film is specified per variety and transit and ordered with the box
10	Volume per season and in the peak week; first packing date	Schedules the factory and sailings; peak week sets the buffer stock
11	Destination port or packhouse and Incoterm (FOB, CIF, DAP)	Freight is quoted on flat volume; boxes, liners and PP lugs can share one container
12	Certifications and audits: ISO 9001, ISO 14001, FSC, SGS, receiver food-contact declarations	Lets your customer's QA sign off before samples ship

Cherry export boxes, MAP liners and PP corrugated plastic harvest lugs, from one supplier

Fuxing Group makes FSC corrugated cartons printed in up to 8 colors, MAP and micro-perforated liner bags, clamshells and pouch bags, and foldable PP corrugated plastic boxes in 2 to 10 mm sheet in Dongguan (China), Hai Phong (Vietnam) and Davao and Manila (Philippines), with ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and SGS verification. Send the 12-point checklist and your receiver's box drawing; we reply in English or Spanish within 12 hours with a drawing, a sample plan and a quotation stating basis weights, humid compression and liner film in writing, and consolidate boxes, liners and lugs to San Antonio, Valparaíso or your U.S. port.

Quote on WhatsApp Email jacky@fuxinggroup.cn

Or use the contact form →

Frequently asked questions

What box do I need to export cherries?: For sea freight to China, Korea and other Asian wholesale markets: a 5 kg corrugated box, 50 by 30 cm footprint, 10 to 12 cm high, bottom and lid in B or C flute moisture-resistant board, with a MAP or micro-perforated liner inside. Retail and e-commerce programs use a 2.5 kg box on a 40 by 30 or 50 by 30 cm footprint, two to a 40 by 30 cm master. The U.S. domestic trade uses 20 lb and 18 lb loose lugs and 15 to 18 lb cartons of 1 to 2 lb clamshells or pouch bags. Take the format from your receiver's spec sheet, then size the board for 30 to 45 days at 0 degrees C and 90 to 95 percent humidity.
How many 5 kg cherry boxes fit on a pallet and in a 40 ft reefer?: On a 1200 by 1000 mm pallet, 8 boxes of 50 by 30 cm per layer and 16 to 18 layers: 128 to 144 boxes, 640 to 720 kg of fruit. The same 8-per-layer pattern fits a 48 by 40 in pallet. A 40 ft high-cube reefer takes 20 pallets: 2,560 to 2,880 boxes, 12.8 to 14.4 t. The 2.5 kg box goes 10 per layer and 26 to 28 layers, 260 to 280 per pallet and 5,200 to 5,600 per reefer. Allow 2 to 3 cm for the top cap and grid and 7 to 14 straps, and confirm the pattern against the final box drawing.
What temperature and humidity do cherries need in transit, and what does that do to the box?: UC Davis Postharvest recommends minus 0.5 plus or minus 0.5 degrees C and 90 to 95 percent relative humidity. Fruit is hydrocooled in 0 to 1 degree C water, so the box starts wet and then sits in near-saturated air for 23 to 40 days by sea. Fibre Box Association factors put the compression loss at 32 percent at 80 percent humidity, and a saturated box can lose up to half its dry value. Specify box compression after 24 hours at 90 percent humidity, moisture-resistant liners and water-resistant glue, and use PP corrugated plastic for trays that go through hydrocooling repeatedly.
MAP liner or micro-perforated liner: which one for export cherries?: A heat-sealed MAP liner uses the fruit's own respiration to lower oxygen and raise carbon dioxide and is the choice for 30 to 45 days by sea; WSU trials ran MAP at about 15 percent oxygen and 5 percent carbon dioxide and recorded better stem color, higher firmness and lower weight loss than regular air. UC Davis gives the safe window as 3 to 10 percent oxygen and 10 to 15 percent carbon dioxide. A micro-perforated liner holds humidity but stays near normal air, costs less and suits air freight and sea legs of up to about two weeks.
Corrugated carton or PP corrugated plastic box for cherries?: Corrugated cartons for the one-way export leg: printed, accepted by every receiver and lighter in the reefer. PP corrugated plastic boxes for the loops that come back wet: harvest lugs, hydrocooling and staging trays, and dividers or corner grids inside a paper master. A foldable PP corrugated plastic box does not absorb water, can be washed and disinfected and folds flat for the return truck. Most packhouses run both: plastic from orchard to packing line, paper from packing line to the importer.
When should a cherry packer order boxes and liner bags for the season?: Approve artwork 10 to 12 weeks before the first packing day: 1 to 2 weeks for drawings and samples, 3 to 4 weeks of production, 30 to 45 days by sea and about a week to the packhouse. For Chilean early varieties packed from late October, confirm in August; for the December to mid-January peak, confirm in October; Northwest packers shipping from June should confirm by March. Liner bags can fly in 5 to 7 days if the season starts early, boxes cannot.

Sources

UC Davis Postharvest Technology Center, Cherry: Recommendations for Maintaining Postharvest Quality (Crisosto, Mitcham, Kader): −0.5 ± 0.5 °C, 90 to 95 % RH, respiration, CA window 3 to 10 % O₂ and 10 to 15 % CO₂.
Frutas de Chile Cherry Committee via FreshPlaza, Chile's cherry season ended with reduced volumes, March 10, 2026: about 114 million boxes, 87 % to China, U.S. 4 %.
USDA FAS GAIN, Stone Fruit Annual, Santiago, Chile (CI2026-0009), August 2026, via FreshPlaza, August 28, 2026: 727,000 t production, 667,000 t exports, 80,000 ha; 2025/26 exports 569,492 t.
MercoPress, Chile launches Cherry Express to China season, November 22, 2025: 23 days against 30, 32 services. Produce Report, Cherry Express, September 2022: about 18,500 containers to China, 63 % of exports in weeks 49 to 51.
The Packer, Northwest cherries popular in export markets, September 2022: more than 30 % exported, about 90 % by air, 5 kg and 20 lb export packs.
Produce Market Guide, Cherries: U.S. shipping packs, 32 °F and 90 to 95 % RH, 10 to 14 day shelf life.
WSU Tree Fruit, Bolaños and Torres, Comparing MAP bags and controlled atmosphere storage for sweet cherry, June 2026: MAP at 15 % O₂ and 5 % CO₂, 0.5 °C, 15 to 45 day assessments.
R. Popil, Georgia Tech, Effects of moisture content on box compression strength, 2019: Fibre Box Association factor of 32 % BCT loss at 80 % RH.
Box dimensions, pallet and container counts, hydrocooling and season calendar: Chilean exporter practice and Fuxing planning estimates, as on our Spanish page Cajas para cerezas de exportación. Trade practice, not laboratory data. No prices, minimums or firm lead times are given here: ask for them in the quotation.