In the Asian avocado market, China and Japan have been the main export destinations for years. However, both countries are showing signs of stagnation, creating a complex scenario for exporters. Faced with this situation, South Korea is beginning to establish itself as a dynamic alternative with its own unique characteristics and conditions that open up new opportunities.

According to André Vargas, commercial director of Fruwer Produce LLC, September 2025 reflected the typical behavior of the Chinese market: when stocks run out, prices skyrocket; as supply increases, demand is contained.

The month began with a price surge after the August inventory was cleared. In week 35, the price of a 4-kilo box jumped from 30 to 120 RMB in just a few days, while a 10-kilo box rose from 80 to 240 RMB. In week 36, the lack of inventory kept prices high, with 4-kilo boxes selling for between 100 and 130 RMB and 10-kilo boxes for between 270 and 280 RMB. Mid-month (week 37), the first shipments arrived from China, along with batches from Chile and Peru, diversifying the supply. Chilean avocados led the way in price, reaching up to 140 RMB for 4-kilo boxes and 300 RMB for 10-kilo boxes, while premium Peruvian avocados were sold for about 10 percent less.

Weeks 38 and 39 showed some stability, although sales were slower due to the lack of dry matter in Chilean and local avocados. The 10-kilo format proved more resilient, maintaining high prices, while the 4-kilo format adjusted slightly towards the end of the period.

Vargas summarized the month's lessons in four key points: stock liquidation as a price driver; the 10-kilo format as a value reference; Chile's attractiveness due to its image and quality; and the importance of pulp maturation to sustain market turnover.

According to Avobook's data team, in 2024 the Chinese and Japanese markets reduced their container imports by 24 percent compared to 2023. However, in 2025 Japan showed a significant rebound: Peru shipped almost 1,000 containers, far exceeding the volumes recorded in previous years. This result demonstrates that, despite the overall decline the previous year, the Japanese market enabled a temporary recovery in Peruvian exports this year.

South Korea offers a contrasting view, with avocado imports showing a positive trend. According to data from Avobook, 508 containers were registered up to week 40 of 2025, representing a 15 percent increase compared to the 441 containers registered in 2024.

This increase breaks the downward trend observed since 2022, when imports totaled 619 containers, a figure that dropped to 547 in 2023 and 441 in 2024.

The peak in imports occurred during the transition between the first and second halves of the year, reaching 27 containers during the week with the highest volume. Regarding suppliers, Korea receives fruit primarily from Peru, Chile, and Mexico. However, Mexico significantly reduced its exports in 2025, allowing Peru to increase its shipments to this market by 90 percent compared to the previous year.

Avobook notes that precise data on the sizes demanded is not yet available, but confirms that the Korean market is mostly supplied from the three origins mentioned, while the participation of other countries is marginal.

China remains a major market, although marked by price volatility and competition among origins. Japan, after a 24 percent drop in 2024, showed a rebound in 2025 thanks to strong growth in Peru, but it remains a destination with mixed results. Korea, on the other hand, appears to be an expanding market, with increasing imports, greater openness to new suppliers, and less competitive saturation.

In a context where margins in Asia are becoming increasingly tight, South Korea is emerging as a strategic opportunity to counter the stagnation of China and Japan and to diversify the presence of exporters in the region.