Fresh fruit & vegetables · Buyer profile
Cherries for import: varieties, UNECE classes and sizes
Prunus avium (L.) L.; Prunus cerasus L.
Fresh cherries are classified as Extra, Class I, or Class II, with sizing based on maximum equatorial diameter.[1]
They need a near-freezing cold chain rather than a postharvest ripening program.[2]
Free for buyers. One reviewed request; our team approaches suitable independent suppliers and returns comparable proposals — you never deal with a supplier directly, and suppliers cannot pay for placement. Assisted sourcing applies to programmes of USD 250,000 or more per year or season.
Educational profile, not an offer. Facts are general and come from the numbered sources; guidance boxes are our own buyer advice. No verified supplier offer for this item is on file — origin, grade, certification, packing and timing are confirmed per offer, with evidence, during sourcing.
At a glance
Short answers to the questions buyers ask first. Each answer comes from the numbered sources below.
- Which types do buyers specify?
- Sweet cherries, Sour cherries, Picota / stemless presentation, Bing, Santina, Regina, Lapins, Kordia, Skeena, Sweetheart.[1],[5],[7]
- How is quality graded?
- Extra minimum diameter is 22 mm except for Picota; Classes I and II have a 17 mm minimum.[1]
- What do the sources say about seasons?
- On November 25, 2025, South Africa’s northern harvest had finished while the Free State and Western Cape were harvesting; this is a dated regional snapshot, not a fixed annual window.[4]
- How is it stored and shipped?
- Optimum storage temperature is −0.5 ± 0.5°C.[2]
- What makes it premium?
- Extra Class requires superior quality, characteristic of the variety, under section II.C(i).[1]
What cherries are
- FFV-13 covers sweet cherries, sour cherries, and their hybrids supplied fresh, excluding fruit for industrial processing.[1]
- Fruit must be sufficiently developed and show satisfactory maturity or ripeness.[1]
- Missing stems are not a defect if the skin is undamaged and there is no severe juice leakage.[1]
Recognized types and varieties
How the types buyers name in requests differ, as described by the sources. Pick one to carry it into your request.
Sweet cherries
Prunus avium (L.) L.
- Sweet cherries are included in the fresh-market scope of FFV-13.[1]
Sour cherries
Prunus cerasus L.
- Packages must identify sour cherries where appropriate.[1]
Picota / stemless presentation
Bing
- In the Pacific Northwest, Bing is a midseason cultivar and the reference point for harvest comparisons.[5]
- Fruit are moderately sized and firm, with light-mahogany to mahogany skin when ripe.[5]
- Bing requires a compatible pollinizer variety flowering at the same time.[6]
- Susceptibility to rain cracking is high.[5]
Santina
- Santina was introduced by the sweet-cherry breeding program at Summerland, British Columbia, Canada.[7]
- In the Pacific Northwest guide, harvest is 5–7 days before Bing.[5]
- Fruit are large, with mahogany skin when ripe; rain cracking is a concern, and some fruit develop a natural tip crack.[5]
- Santina is self-fertile.[5]
Regina
- In the Pacific Northwest guide, harvest is 14–15 days after Bing.[5]
- Fruit are large and firm, with mahogany to dark-mahogany skin when ripe and a mild, pleasant flavor.[5]
- Regina requires a compatible pollinizer variety flowering at the same time.[6]
- The Pacific Northwest guide describes excellent resistance to rain cracking.[5]
Lapins
- Lapins is an introduction from the sweet-cherry breeding program at Summerland, British Columbia, Canada.[7]
- In the Pacific Northwest guide, harvest is 10–14 days after Bing.[5]
- Fruit are large, with light-mahogany to mahogany skin when ripe; the guide warns of susceptibility to pitting during transit.[5]
- Lapins is self-fertile.[5]
Kordia
- The Pacific Northwest guide lists Kordia under Attika, with harvest 6–7 days after Bing.[5]
- Fruit are large, with firm flesh and mahogany skin when ripe.[5]
- Kordia requires a compatible pollinizer variety flowering at the same time.[6]
- The guide describes low susceptibility to rain cracking and impact damage.[5]
Skeena
- Skeena was introduced by the sweet-cherry breeding program at Summerland, British Columbia, Canada.[7]
- In the Pacific Northwest guide, harvest is 12–14 days after Bing.[5]
- Fruit are very large and firm, with light-mahogany to mahogany skin when ripe; rain cracking can be a problem.[5]
- Skeena is self-fertile.[5]
Sweetheart
- Sweetheart is an introduction from the sweet-cherry breeding program at Summerland, British Columbia, Canada.[7]
- In the Pacific Northwest guide, harvest is 18–20 days after Bing.[5]
- Fruit are moderately large and very firm, with light-mahogany skin when ripe; pitting has been reported on arrival at distant markets.[5]
- Sweetheart is self-fertile.[5]
Commercial formats, classes and grades
- Extra minimum diameter is 22 mm except for Picota; Classes I and II have a 17 mm minimum.[1]
- Class I permits slight defects in shape and coloring without impairing appearance, quality, keeping quality, or presentation.[1]
- Class II permits shape and color defects and small healed surface scars while retaining essential quality and keeping characteristics.[1]
- Extra quality tolerance is 5% by number or weight below Extra but meeting Class I; within this, at most 0.5% in total may be Class II and at most 2% split or worm-eaten fruit.[1]
- Class I quality tolerance is 10% below class but meeting Class II; within this, at most 1% in total may be below Class II or minimum requirements, or decayed, and at most 4% split or worm-eaten.[1]
- Class II tolerance is 10% below class or minimum requirements; within this, at most 4% in total may be overripe, split, worm-eaten, or decayed.[1]
- A 10% sizing tolerance by number or weight applies to all classes.[1]
- Packages must contain fruit of the same origin, variety, and quality, reasonably uniform in size.[1]
- Extra cherries must also be uniform in coloring and ripeness.[1]
- The visible contents must represent the entire package.[1]
- Markings require packer/dispatcher identification, origin, and class; variety and size declarations are optional under FFV-13.[1]
Typical uses and buyer profiles
Who typically specifies this — general guidance
- For retail programs, define the acceptance specification before comparing proposals.
- For foodservice programs, specify delivery cadence and intended preparation.
Seasonality and sourcing considerations
Season windows are shown as the sources state them; confirm packing or harvest weeks with each supplier for the season you buy.
- On November 25, 2025, South Africa’s northern harvest had finished while the Free State and Western Cape were harvesting; this is a dated regional snapshot, not a fixed annual window.[4]
- The September 2024 USDA report forecast Chile’s 2024/25 cherry exports at 445,000 metric tons; this is a historical marketing-year outlook, not a current shipment commitment.[3]
- The September 2024 report notes that historically more than 99% of Chile’s cherry exports occur in November–March; Chile supplies China counterseasonally during December–February.[3]
- Harvest offsets above are Pacific Northwest cultivar-guide comparisons, not fixed calendar dates for Chile or other origins.[5]
- The August 20, 2024 USDA Chile report identifies Santina, Lapins and Regina as the leading varieties produced, and notes Santina’s prominence in new plantings; it does not give export-volume shares by variety.[8]
Storage, handling and logistics
- Optimum storage temperature is −0.5 ± 0.5°C.[2]
- Optimum relative humidity is 90–95%; high humidity is particularly important for keeping stems green.[2]
- Cherry respiration is 3–5 ml CO₂/kg/hour at 0°C and 22–28 ml CO₂/kg/hour at 20°C.[2]
- Cherries respond minimally to ethylene, and ethylene does not accelerate ripening.[2]
- Modified atmospheres with 10–15% carbon dioxide can suppress decay and help retain firmness.[2]
- Atmospheres below 1% oxygen can cause skin pitting and off-flavors; carbon dioxide above 30% can cause brown skin discoloration and off-flavors.[2]
- Impact damage can cause surface pitting, while compression damage can bruise fruit.[2]
- Rapid cooling soon after harvest and temperature control during transport help limit decay.[2]
Strengths, trade-offs and best fit
Strengths
Trade-offs
- Freedom from cracks, shriveling, decay, and bird damage is part of the cherry quality assessment.[2]
Best fit when… — general guidance
- Choose the specification against your intended use and receiving capacity.
What to state in your request
- State destination, delivery window, annual or seasonal volume, and shipment cadence.
- Specify variety, quality class, size basis, and acceptance tolerances.
- Describe pack format, net weight, labeling language, and pallet requirements.
- Request harvest, packing, and temperature records with the proposal.
- Ask for the destination-specific plant-health documents and market-access evidence.
- Agree inspection method, sampling plan, and claims procedure before dispatch.
Start your request with these requirements
Fill in what you already know; it is carried into the request form, where you add your programme value and contact details. Nothing is sent until you submit the form.
Free for buyers. One reviewed request; our team approaches suitable independent suppliers and returns comparable proposals — you never deal with a supplier directly, and suppliers cannot pay for placement. Assisted sourcing applies to programmes of USD 250,000 or more per year or season.
Often requested with cherries
Starter kits group products that buyers commonly source in one programme. The notes explain how the lines depend on each other — they are our general guidance; the product facts stay on each sourced profile.
Counter-season premium fruit programme
For importers and retailers who want one request covering the main premium fruit lines of the off-season: cherries, blueberries and table grapes, with mangoes as an option.
Our guidance: Each fruit has its own storage temperature (see the sourced handling line under each product). Plan separate reefers or compartments where the ranges differ, rather than one mixed load.
Premium specialty and gifting season
For premium retailers and importers building a festive or gifting range around durian, caviar and premium cherries.
Our guidance: These products need very different temperatures (see each product's sourced handling line), so each is its own shipment line.
Compliance, documents and who is responsible
- Requirements for cherries depend on the product and on the origin and destination countries — check them for your own market before you commit.
- The producer or exporter is responsible for the product and shipment requirements; the buyer or importer for import permissions, local rules and its own due diligence.
- Certificates (for example GLOBALG.A.P., BRCGS, ASC, BAP, organic or halal) are requested per offer and checked against the issuing body or official register. Global B2B Group does not manufacture, export or certify products and does not give legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 22 mm cherry automatically Extra?
No. Diameter is only one requirement; Extra also requires superior quality and uniform coloring and ripeness.[1]
Can cherries be ripened with ethylene?
Ethylene does not accelerate cherry ripening. Maturity must be assessed before shipment.[2]
Are stems mandatory?
No. Missing stems are acceptable if the skin is intact and severe juice leakage is absent. Stemless presentation must be marked where appropriate.[1]
Related guides and tools
- Fresh fruit & vegetables: category guide
- Compare with avocados
- Compare with blueberries
- Compare with mangoes
- Compare with table grapes
- Compare with citrus
- Compare with durian
- Compare with tomatoes
- Premium cherry imports into China: decide the lot, route and arrival window
- South African cherries to China: protocol signed, first shipment clearance pending
- Global B2B Opportunities Center: verified trade corridors
- Premium produce sourcing
- Fresh produce RFQ
Farm, plant or input projects
Production projects behind this product — farms, hatcheries, processing or growing systems — are handled by our specialist platform.
SeedMatchSources
Numbers in the text point to these sources. Dates are those shown on each source, or the date we checked an undated page.
- 1.UNECE Standard FFV-13 Cherries, 2023 edition (opens in a new tab) — UNECE, 2023
- 2.Cherry — Produce Facts (opens in a new tab) — UC Davis Postharvest Technology Center, May 1996
- 3.Fresh Peaches and Cherries: World Markets and Trade (opens in a new tab) — USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, September 2024
- 4.South African cherries are going places (opens in a new tab) — Hortgro, 25 November 2025
- 5.Sweet Cherry Cultivars for the Fresh Market (PNW 604) (opens in a new tab) — Oregon State University Extension Service; Washington State University, January 2021
- 6.Sweet cherry compatibility and bloom timing chart for commercial growers (EM 9484) (opens in a new tab) — Oregon State University Extension Service, January 2013; reviewed 2024
- 7.Recent sweet cherry introductions from the breeding program at Summerland, British Columbia, Canada (opens in a new tab) — International Society for Horticultural Science (F. Kappel and W. D. Lane), 1998
- 8.Stone Fruit Annual — Chile (CI2024-0017) (opens in a new tab) — USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, 2024-08-20
Profile last reviewed 2026-10-25. Report a correction via contact.
Global B2B Group is committed to conducting its own activities in accordance with applicable law. It facilitates sourcing and RFQs and does not itself produce, manufacture, export or sell the listed products, or approve them on behalf of any authority. Suppliers are responsible for the products and shipments they offer and supply meeting the requirements of the origin and destination countries — for example safety, quality, labelling, traceability, sanitary or phytosanitary certificates and export documents, where relevant. Buyers remain responsible for their own import permissions, local requirements and due diligence. Requirements differ by product and country; this is not legal advice. Compliance & responsibilities · Terms