The first shipment of mainland Australian apples landed in the Chinese market last week, following the finalisation of a new trade market access deal last year.
Signed in July 2025 by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) and the General Administration of Customs in China, the updated biosecurity agreement built on existing trade from Tasmanian growers, who have had access to China since 2010. The protocol was expanded to allow for apple exports from all states and territories in Australia.
At the time, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Julie Collins, said the agreement was a fantastic outcome for the Australian apple industry and for Chinese consumers.
“The finalisation of market access is a significant milestone for the apple industry and for the Australia-China trading relationship,” said Collins.
“The Chinese market offers strong export growth potential for Australian producers with a large consumer base and premium price points for high-quality branded products. This outcome will support our agricultural industry to grow toward a $100 billion sector, and the Australian horticultural sector to meet its target of $20 billion by 2030.”
Bravo apples – a cross between Royal Gala and the Western Australian Cripps Red variety – were chosen for the inaugural shipment, branded as Soluna for the global marketplace. The initial 80 tonne consignment is set to unlock a market expected to be worth more than $10 million in the next two years.
Developed by the Australian National Apple Breeding Program, national production of Bravo branded apples continues to build, ready for export under the Soluna brand to Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the UAE – and now China.
Western Australian Agriculture and Food Minister, Jackie Jarvis, said the Bravo apple is a beloved variety in the state, developed by local researchers and growers.
“We're also immensely proud of our apple breeding program and its global reputation for producing nutritious, delicious fruit for consumers to enjoy, backed by Western Australian growers’ sophisticated production systems,” said Jarvis.
“I look forward to seeing our fruit industry continuing to develop and grow, as industry adopts new practices and technologies backed by our investments and research.”
