Namibia gains access to China’s table grape market under phytosanitary protocol
Namibia can begin exporting table grapes to China following the signing of a bilateral phytosanitary protocol. The agreement creates an alternative to Europe for a sector that exported nearly 45,400 metric tons annually on average between 2021 and 2025.
Protocol clears a new route to China
Namibia has secured access to the Chinese market for table grapes after its Ministry of Agriculture and the General Administration of Customs of China signed a phytosanitary protocol on July 10. The agreement establishes the sanitary and operational conditions that Namibian growers, packers and exporters must meet before shipping fruit to China.
According to Ecofin Agency, consignments must remain free of quarantine pests and soil contamination. Orchards, packing houses and cold-treatment facilities must be registered, while operators must implement traceability systems and complete inspections before shipment. These requirements make formal access only the first step: exporters will also need compliant infrastructure, documentation and cold-chain controls capable of meeting Chinese border procedures.
Europe currently dominates Namibia’s grape trade
Table grapes are Namibia’s leading horticultural export. Trade Map data cited by Ecofin Agency show that the country exported an average of nearly 45,400 metric tons a year between 2021 and 2025. Shipments peaked at 50,000 metric tons in 2022. Over the same period, export earnings increased by nearly 26.15%, from $65 million to $82 million.
European markets have absorbed most Namibian table grape exports, with the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Germany among the principal destinations. China therefore offers a route to diversify sales beyond established European customers. That option could be valuable for producers seeking a broader buyer base, although the source material does not provide shipment forecasts, contracts or expected prices for the new trade corridor.
Large market, established competitors
China imported about 117,000 metric tons of table grapes worth an estimated $313 million in 2025. Namibian suppliers will enter that market alongside established exporters including Australia, Chile, Peru, Uzbekistan and neighboring South Africa. Commercial success will depend on whether Namibia can deliver suitable varieties at competitive prices and maintain fruit quality during a substantially longer logistics chain than shipments to some traditional destinations.
The market opening also coincides with China’s zero-tariff treatment for 100% of tariff lines covering imports from 53 African countries that maintain diplomatic relations with Beijing. The measure, which includes Namibia, took effect on May 1, 2026. Duty-free treatment could improve the price position of Namibian grapes, but it does not remove the costs associated with registration, pest management, cold treatment, inspections and long-distance transport.
Access may support investment in fruit production
A functioning export route could encourage investment in packing capacity, cold-chain logistics and production standards. Namibia’s fruit industry still operates below the potential identified by the Namibian Agronomic Board. A board study found that the country had nearly 6,700 hectares suitable for fruit production but had developed only 17% of that area as of 2021.
The immediate task for the industry is to convert regulatory approval into repeat commercial shipments. Producers and exporters must register eligible facilities, demonstrate traceability and satisfy pre-shipment controls while developing relationships with Chinese importers. The protocol gives Namibia an additional market and reduces its exclusive reliance on traditional channels, but volumes will ultimately depend on compliance costs, logistics, buyer demand and the ability to compete with suppliers already established in China.
