Recently, inflation has risen in some overseas countries and regions, leading to a sharp rise in local food prices and an increase in consumer hoarding demand, driving the hot sales of canned food in many overseas countries and maintaining a growth trend in export volume.

To maintain and expand comparative advantages in the new round of international trade competition, China's canned food industry should be developed into a composite advantage industry that is labor-intensive, technology intensive, and resource intensive.

Recently, a news about "Chinese canned food selling well overseas" has surged on the hot search. According to data from the China Canned Food Industry Association, in 2022, the export volume of canned food in China reached 3.125 million tons, with an export value of 6.89 billion US dollars (approximately RMB 47.3 billion), a year-on-year increase of 12% and 22% respectively, both reaching new highs in recent years.

The international canned food consumption market is very mature. Data shows that as a necessary consumer product for daily diet, the per capita annual consumption of canned food in European and American countries can reach 21 to 33 kilograms. The total global supply of canned food is nearly 50 million tons per year, with over 2500 varieties, indicating huge consumption potential. The global export value of canned food in 2022 is about 26 billion US dollars, and the estimated global output value of canned food in 2023 is expected to reach 118 billion US dollars. How did Chinese canned food stand firm in the turbulent international market?

"Canned food is one of the first food categories in China to enter the international market, and its product quality has been in line with international standards for many years. It has played an important role in meeting market demand, expanding foreign trade, and serving" agriculture, rural areas, and farmers "." Liu Youqian, Chairman of the China Canned Food Industry Association, said that from a category perspective, canned fruits and vegetables are mainly exported to overseas markets in China, with canned citrus, peach, mushroom, asparagus, and other products occupying a large market share globally. In addition, canned tomato sauce and canned bamboo shoots are also the main products exported from China's canned fruits and vegetables.

It is reported that in the 1950s, Chinese canned food first went abroad, starting with a small number of canned fruits, and the variety and quantity increased year by year. Currently, China is the world's leading producer and exporter of canned goods. According to statistics, from 1950 to 2019, the cumulative production of China's canned food industry was about 190 million tons, of which 34% was used for exports, with exports exceeding 80 billion US dollars.

Recently, inflation in some overseas countries and regions has risen, leading to a sharp rise in local food prices and an increase in consumer hoarding demand, driving the hot sales of canned food in many overseas countries and maintaining a growth trend in export volume.

Chinese canned food is popular overseas and is also related to the continuous improvement and development of the industry's quality. In recent years, China's canned food industry has been aiming for high-quality development and is undergoing changes and restructuring in the industry chain. On the production side, the canned food industry chain has been extended and integrated, and the canned quick freezing and preservation industry has developed in a full sequence. The industry concentration has increased, and the requirements for enterprise supply chain integration and management capabilities are also constantly increasing. Industry experts have stated that as more and more production enterprises integrate into domestic and international supply chains, eliminating intermediate links and directly connecting with retail terminals will become a trend.

On the consumer side, the canned food industry shows a continuous increase in overall demand. In terms of categories, canned products such as flexible packaging are becoming one of the important trends in industry development, with huge growth potential. In terms of innovation, the product focuses more on health indicators such as vegetarianism, gluten free, low sugar, non GMO, and nutritional value ratings. In terms of personalized needs, small serving canned food targeting "one person" and sugar free and low sugar canned food targeting young women and special groups are highly popular.

Industry experts believe that in order for China's canned food industry to maintain and expand its trade comparative advantage in the new round of international trade competition, it must take multiple measures to build China's canned food industry into a composite advantage industry that is labor-intensive, technology intensive, and resource intensive. Enterprises need to continuously increase the output of high-quality products, innovate in products, processes, and management, and promote the industry to enter a virtuous track of transformation, upgrading, efficiency improvement, and high-quality development. (Reporter Liu Xiaoxiao and Shi Xiaojuan)