Containers filled with imported cherries from Chile now take less than two hours to go from docking to market in China, thanks to close coordination among ports, customs and logistics firms, resulting in a sweet deal for the country's many cherry lovers.
As the peak season approaches, China's largest cherry import hub, Nansha Port in Guangzhou City of south China's Guangdong Province, is processing massive volumes at record speed.
Before the Spring Festival in mid-February, imports at Nansha Port are expected to exceed 200,000 tons, accounting for nearly one-third of China's total cherry imports.
China has been Chile's largest cherry export market for seven consecutive years, with more than 92 percent of Chilean cherries destined for Chinese consumers. Supporting this flow is a highly efficient logistics system designed to move fresh fruit from ship to shelf within hours.
"[The cherry season runs from] mid-December through February. So far, Nansha Port has operated 18 dedicated cherry routes. For each ship and its specific conditions, we develop a tailored plan. The containers are unloaded directly from the ship onto the customer's trailer and transported directly to the market," said Huang Minshan, client manager of the Business Development Department at Guangzhou Port Nansha Phase II Terminal.
Just ten minutes from the dock sits Asia's largest single integrated cold-chain facility, where temperature-controlled inspections keep cherries fresh, even during peak arrival periods. Customs officers use smart devices to verify shipment data submitted before vessels arrive.
"With a focus on both safety and efficiency, we have opened a green channel for fresh imports with 24-hour appointment-based customs clearance. Containers that don't require inspection can leave immediately, while those awaiting inspection are sent directly from the ship to the Nansha international logistics center. The Nansha Port has attracted the import of 23 types of fruits from 13 countries and regions, continuously enriching the dining tables of domestic consumers," said Lin Xiaojing, head of Cold Chain Supervision Section 1 at Nansha Customs.
From the port, the cherries make their way to Jiangnan Fruit and Vegetable Wholesale Market, the largest of its kind in south China. There, distributors move fast and sign their names on the boxes to lock in the freshest arrivals, ensuring that produce reaches dining tables as quickly as possible.
Close coordination allows imported cherries to quickly reach consumers in China
Nantong, a city in east China known as the nation's bedding hub, is turning to AI to help local manufacturers tackle the longstanding inventory challenges affecting both domestic and overseas sales.
With a population of 7.7 million, Nantong supplies 60 percent of the world's bedding sets.
Unlike clothing, bedding lacks complex tailoring, making patterns the primary driver of consumer preference. That is allowing some manufacturers to gain a competitive edge by deploying AI design tools.
One of the factories using the technology produces some 20,000 bedding sets a month. Operators use a platform that generates new patterns and renders images in seconds, with a single computer capable of producing thousands of designs daily.
Demand for these services has given rise to a tech firm ecosystem in Nantong, as startups begin specializing in providing AI services to local manufacturers.
One young team has served some 1,300 home textile firms and has generated over 3 million creative designs.
"In the past, one design draft cost between 2,000 and 4,000 yuan. Now AI helps to save costs. For companies, they can use the money saved from product design to improve product quality," said Yuan Zehua, CEO of Sansyn AI.
AI can also assist in quality control. For one local factory with a staff of just 40 employees and machines running around the clock, full-system AI monitoring is vital for identifying problems. As soon as an issue emerges, an on-screen prompt appears, providing operators with ample warning.
The city also has numerous inventory stores selling bedding sets that have remained unsold for extended periods. Most eventually sell as waste fabric, priced by weight.
With AI assistance, many factories now release numerous new styles for market testing before proceeding with mass production. This approach helps manufacturers gauge consumer demand early, reducing the risk of excess inventory.
"We can test different products to provide more choices for customers. Then AI, along with our quick response to the supply chain, could help solve our inventory problems," said Shi Si, general manager of Briney Textile.
However, the technology is not without limitations. AI-generated designs can raise intellectual property (IP) concerns, and even reshape workforce allocation in the textile industry, a sector that has long provided significant employment.
The industry is developing solutions. To address IP issues, AI platforms are building databases to trace design origins and identify the earliest creation.
Meanwhile, century-old textile companies are seeking workers with new skill sets, shifting hiring priorities as automation changes traditional roles.
"Repetitive work is replaced by robots. So we want college graduates to ensure the safe and stable operation of the equipment while ensuring the product quality," said Li Lanyu, director of Innovation Management at Dasheng Group.
China's bedding set hub Nantong harnesses AI to tackle inventory problems
