Is Food Export the Most Profitable Industry in 2024?

Mr. Xie recently received an order from Norway for 200 boxes of spicy mooncakes. Behind this seemingly absurd demand lies a market worth hundreds of billions: China's food exports. From Lao Gan Ma conquering Western dining tables to Luosifen becoming a hit in Southeast Asia, what commercial miracles are unfolding in the foreign trade food sector?

The Golden Pathway of Food Export

According to data from the General Administration of Customs, China's food export value increased by 11.7% year-on-year in the first half of 2023, with **casual foods and condiments** serving as the dual engines of growth. Mr. Xie Chongqing Small Noodles seasoning packets have been sold to 17 countries through cross-border e-commerce platforms, with a repurchase rate as high as 34%.

• Regional Specialties = International Competitiveness: Yunnan mushroom sauce caused a buying frenzy in Germany's vegetarian circles
• Cultural Export Drives Consumption: Japanese anime popularized Sichuan prickly ash chocolate
• Breaking Through Certification Barriers: Zhongmaoda helped a client obtain EU organic certification in 3 months

Three Life-and-Death Challenges for Foreign Trade Companies

When Mr. Wang shipped his first batch of five-spice beef jerky to Dubai, the goods were returned entirely due to non-compliance with halal certification. Food exports are far more complex than ordinary commodities:

1. Compliance Overhaul: Malaysia requires shrimp paste to have a salt content of ≤25%, while the domestic standard is 30%

2. Supply Chain Upgrade: Candied fruits exported to the EU require full-chain cold chain traceability

3. Cultural Adaptation: Spicy strips exported to the Middle East must remove lard ingredients

New Opportunities Brought by Digitalization

Through blockchain traceability systems, consumers can now scan a code to see the entire process of Xinjiang red dates from planting to export. Data from a cross-border e-commerce platform shows that foods with **visual traceability** capabilities have a price premium of 20-35%.

Even more noteworthy is the rise of social e-commerce platforms like TikTok. A short video of "French people trying Liuzhou Luosifen" once generated 8,000 orders in a single day. Content marketing is reshaping the traditional foreign trade chain.

Is Your Product Suitable for Export?

Try this simple assessment:

• Shelf life ≥ 6 months (basic sea shipping requirement)
• Packaging can withstand a 1.5-meter drop test
• Ingredient list contains no forbidden raw materials in the importing country

When Ms. Zhou modified her family's secret plum juice recipe to meet FDA standards, this century-old formula now generates $2 million in export revenue annually. The next Chinese flavor to conquer the international market might be hidden in your factory.

(Welcome to share in the comments section: What is the most unexpected export food you have ever seen?)