When Chinese tangerine peel tea drinks are displayed side by side with Japanese and Korean skincare products on the shelves of Southeast Asian supermarkets, and when "Xinhui tangerine peel" is prominently labeled as a natural ingredient on the tags of European pharmacies—this fruit, carrying the wisdom of millennia of traditional Chinese medicine, is reshaping the global trade landscape in a new guise. By 2025, Chinese tangerine peel has evolved from a traditional medicinal herb into a new force in foreign trade, combining cultural value with economic vitality, with its unique advantages becoming increasingly prominent amid the tide of globalization.
Geographical indications and quality advantages form the most solid trade foundation for Chinese orange peel. Core production areas such as Xinhui in Guangdong, Yibin in Sichuan, and Zhangzhou in Fujian, benefit from unique soil pH levels, an average of 2,200 hours of sunlight annually, and a humid subtropical climate, which contribute to the orange peel's characteristics of "thick peel, plump oil cells, and rich aroma." By 2025, China has established a blockchain traceability system covering the entire process from cultivation to sun-drying and aging. Consumers can scan QR codes to access the growth cycle, processing techniques, and quality inspection reports of each orange peel. This standardized approach has enabled Chinese orange peel to gain access to stringent markets such as the EU and Japan. Notably, Xinhui orange peel has become the first medicinal herb globally to receive a "dual geographical indication" certification, with an export average price 3-5 times higher than ordinary orange peel.
Industrial chain upgrades and policy dividends have injected sustained momentum into the export of dried tangerine. In recent years, China has established the world's largest dried tangerine warehousing and trading center, achieving large-scale aging through intelligent temperature control technology, with annual trading volume exceeding 8 billion yuan. Under the Belt and Road Initiative, China-Europe freight trains have dedicated dried tangerine cold chain containers, reducing transportation time from 45 days to 18 days and cutting logistics costs by 22%. The "dried tangerine Cross-Border E-commerce Pilot" launched in the Guangdong Free Trade Zone allows enterprises to expand overseas markets through an "online display + offline experience" model, with cross-border e-commerce export revenue in 2024 growing by 73% year-on-year. This "standardized cultivation + refined processing + trade facilitation" full-chain advantage has propelled China's dried tangerine market share in international markets from 38% in 2019 to 61% in 2025.
Looking back at the dried tangerine peel used as ballast in Song Dynasty merchant ships and now observing the dedicated logistics routes for dried tangerine peel shuttling between global ports, this small fruit bears witness to the transformation and upgrading of China's foreign trade. By 2025, Chinese dried tangerine peel will not only be a commodity but also a vessel of cultural confidence and a model of technological empowerment. With the further removal of tariff barriers under the RCEP framework and the improvement of international standards for traditional Chinese medicine, Chinese dried tangerine peel is destined to play an even more brilliant role in the global health industry wave.
Post time: Sep-29-2025
