From: Economic Reference network
2024 China Health Product Raw Materials Conference and International Procurement Information Exchange Meeting was held recently. And according to the data provided by the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Medicine and Health Products, in 2023, China's export volume of plant extracts was RMB 23.88 billion, with a global market share of more than 20%, ranking first in the world.
Plant extracts are widely used and have broad prospects for industrial development. It can be used as raw materials to participate in the production of food, traditional Chinese medicine, health food, daily chemical products, cosmetics, aquaculture inputs. China has more than 30,000 plant varieties, which is one of the countries with the most abundant plant resources and the most complete system in the world.
Ginger extract, garlic extract, milk thistle extract, ginkgo biloba extract, wolfberry extract and other plant extracts from China are favored by overseas markets.
With the theme of "New Formats, New thinking, New Channel", the conference brought together representatives from all walks of life of China's natural health product raw material industry from government, industry, universities and research institutes to seek high-quality sustainable development of the medical and health industry in the new era. The conference is sponsored by China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Medicine and Health Products, Plant extracts Branch of China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Medicine and Health Products, Shaanxi Plant Extraction Industry Association, and Cosmetics Branch of China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Medicine and Health Products, Shaanxi Cosmetics Industry Association.
The picture shows Meng Dongping, Party Secretary of China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Medicine and Health Products, delivering a speech. (Photo provided by the organizer)
"The development of the global pharmaceutical and health industry is showing new characteristics, new trends, and new momentum, and the life science and health industry, as a strategic emerging industry, is becoming one of the main positions for the formation of new quality productivity." In recent years, the global nutrition and health market has continued to grow, and the development of the industry is in full swing. Botanical and herbal products are highly sought after for their natural green properties and special effects in disease prevention and control and physical fitness, and the market is highly active." Meng Dongping, secretary of the Party Committee of the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Pharmaceutical and Health Products, said in the opening speech of the conference that China, as a major manufacturer of plant extracts, is also the world's largest exporter of raw materials for natural health products. After years of accumulation, the industry is developing and growing, and the status and role of local enterprises in carrying out international trade and division of labor cooperation are becoming more prominent. Foreign trade exports have maintained a relatively high growth rate for ten years.
In 2023, China’s largest exporting market in value of plant extracts is Hong Kong, the United States, Japan; In the first quarter of 2024, it is the United States, India and Japan. Domestic plant extracts leading enterprises have Chengguang biology, Layn biology, Chongqing Jiao Wang and so on. Products such as lutein from Chengguang Biology, stevia extract from Layn Biology and bromelain from Chongqing Jiao Wang are all world-renowned products.
Liu Shijie, director of the Light textile Medicine Department of the Foreign Trade Department of the Ministry of Commerce, said that leading plant extracts enterprises play a leading role in industry demonstration, continue to enhance core competitiveness, and guide the way in intermediate trade, green trade, and international standard cooperation. At the same time, we will make full use of both domestic and international markets and resources to strengthen the momentum of going overseas.
Liu Zhonghua, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and professor of Hunan Agricultural University, pointed out that the big health industry, including plant extracts, is a sunrise industry that continues to develop globally, but it is also facing new challenges. Raw material quality and safety, international trade rules, international standards and regulations, market product positioning, cutting-edge technology application, market development trends, etc., are all hot topics that the health industry, especially the plant extract industry practitioners need to pay high attention to.
Zhang Chengwen, chairman of China Chamber of Commerce for Import & Export of Medicine & Health Products and president of Shaanxi Plant Extraction Industry Association, pointed out that trade frictions and tariff barriers may increase the uncertainty of China's raw material exports of health products in 2024, and plant extract enterprises need to be prepared in advance.
In addition, the conference also published two national standards, "Terms of Plant extracts" and "Technical Requirements for the formulation of characteristic maps of plant Extract as feed Additives", and publicly solicited opinions on the "Good Production practices of plant extracts". Zeng Jianguo, professor of Hunan Agricultural University, said that the development of China's plant extract industry urgently needs a complete and scientific standard system to regulate and guide. The introduction of the standard has built a regulatory framework for the high-quality and sustainable development of the plant extract industry, and the next step needs to continue to improve the standard framework from the national, industrial, local, group, enterprise and other levels to promote China's plant extract industry to connect with the international market with standard regulations.
