In recent years, Chinese canned goods have been selling well overseas, and the export volume has continued to soar. In 2022, China's canned goods export volume and export value increased by 12% and 22% year-on-year, respectively, both reaching new highs in recent years. China has been the largest producer and exporter of canned goods for many years, accounting for about a quarter of the world's production. What are the reasons behind why small cans can showcase their skills in the international market?

The reporter learned during the visit that canned food, as one of the earliest industries in China to align with international standards, relies on production scale and cost advantages to increase its market share in the international market year by year. In recent years, China's canned food production technology has been continuously upgraded, especially the improvement of production line automation level. While improving quality, it has also reduced production costs, leading to the continuous expansion of canned food export advantages.

CCTV reporter Wu Nanxin: This is an automated production line for canned corn. After a fresh corn enters the production line, it is cleaned of impurities, screened, and then filled and sealed in just 20 minutes. In the past, producing 200 tons of such canned corn often required six to seven hundred workers to work all day, but now only 50 workers are needed to complete it.

Tang Jin, Vice President of Tongfa Food Group: The improvement of industrial technology is crucial for us. This can be said to be our winning weapon in market competition. When costs decrease by more than ten percent, your international competitiveness is greatly improved, and the most direct feedback is a continuous stream of orders.
In Zhangzhou, Fujian, there are thousands of canned food export enterprises, producing approximately 15.6% of the country's total canned food exports. At present, the automated production of major varieties has been basically achieved, and the level of automation is still constantly improving.

Lin Fadai, Deputy Director of Zhangzhou Customs: In the first quarter of this year, Zhangzhou exported 98000 tons of canned goods, mainly meat, fruits, fish, and other three categories, to approximately 160 countries and regions around the world.
Data shows that in the past year, there have been over 500 patent applications related to canned food nationwide, covering aspects such as can disinfection, sterilization, cleaning, sorting, and sealing. In the first two months of 2023, China exported a total of 523300 tons of various canned goods, with an export value of 1.22 billion US dollars, an increase of 10% and 23% year-on-year, respectively.
"Moments" Continuously Expanding Emerging Markets Drive Canned Export Growth
China has been the largest producer and exporter of canned goods for many years, accounting for about a quarter of the world's production. Since the beginning of this year, more innovative canned products have entered emerging markets.

Chen Junxing, General Manager of Fujian Zhangzhou Chenzi Trading Co., Ltd., stated that relying on continuous exploration of new markets, the company's annual business volume has increased by more than 20% in the past five years, and its products are exported to 146 countries and regions.
In addition to exploring new markets, the export volume of ready to eat canned Chinese dishes and canned nutrition and health products relying on new technologies has significantly increased in the past two years. More innovative flavors of food are being canned and sold to countries around the world.

The Singapore Food and Beverage Exhibition is an annual event that Tang Jin attends. Before this departure, she specifically came to the new product development room. Several secret weapons specially prepared for visiting customers are hidden in these unpackaged bags.

In the view of industry insiders, the reason why Chinese canned food can showcase its skills on the world stage, from a single standard product to meeting the import requirements of products from around the world, from technology, packaging to marketing and creativity, is precisely through continuous comprehensive innovation, in order to continuously seek business opportunities and expand the market.

As of now, China's canned food exports have covered more than 200 countries and regions. In recent years, the export volume of cans to emerging markets such as Asia, Africa, Latin America and the "the Belt and Road" has increased significantly. Among them, in 2022, the year-on-year growth rate of China's canned exports to Türkiye reached 547%, and that of Latvia reached 255%.