In 2025, the competitiveness of Chinese cinnamon in the global market will be further highlighted. With multiple advantages such as resource endowment, technological innovation, policy support, and market layout, it will become the core force of international spice trade. This advantage not only stems from the solid foundation of traditional industries, but also from a precise grasp of global market trends and strategic upgrades.
As the world's largest producer of cinnamon, China's production is expected to account for over 50% of the global total by 2025. The large-scale planting and refined management in major production areas such as Guangxi and Guangdong are particularly prominent. Guangxi's cinnamon production accounts for over 60% of the national total, with a planting area of 940000 acres in Yunfu City, accounting for over 50% of Guangdong Province's total. This has formed an industrial pattern of "the world's cinnamon looks at China, and China's cinnamon looks at Yunfu". This centralized production model not only reduces costs, but also ensures the stability of product quality through standardized planting. For example, Cenxi City and Teng County, known as the "Hometown of Chinese Cinnamon" in Guangxi, have strengthened the international market's recognition of the quality of Chinese cinnamon through geographical indication protection. In addition, the rapid development of emerging production areas such as Yunnan and Guizhou (with a production growth rate of 15% by 2024) has effectively alleviated the resource pressure on traditional production areas and provided sustained and stable supply for the global market.
The Chinese cassia industry is transitioning from primary processing to high value-added fields. The team from Guangdong Pharmaceutical University is promoting mechanized processing transformation in Luoding City, achieving cassia grading and precise control, increasing production efficiency by more than 30%, and developing more than 20 deep processed products such as cassia essential oil, cassia toothpaste, and care sets. The application of supercritical fluid extraction technology has increased the oil yield of Guiyou by 20% and the retention rate of active ingredients by 95%. It is widely used in high-end fields such as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. In addition, the establishment of technology institutes provides a platform for the integration of industry, academia, and research. For example, the "Guangdong Luoding Cassia Technology Institute" optimizes germplasm resources through molecular biology research, develops new varieties resistant to pests and diseases, and promotes the upgrading of the entire industry chain. This technological breakthrough not only enhances the added value of the product, but also forms a differentiated competitive advantage in the international market.
The deep implementation of RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) has become an important driving force for China's cassia exports. Wuzhou, Yunfu and other places have achieved a year-on-year increase of 11.4% in cassia exports in 2024 through tariff reductions and optimization of rules of origin. Among them, Yunfu's exports to RCEP member countries such as Vietnam increased by 48.94%. Local governments actively connect with the Hong Kong and Macau markets, such as Yunfu signing foreign investment projects at the 2025 Yunfu Hong Kong Macau Economic and Trade Investment Cooperation Exchange Conference, promoting the entry of specialty agricultural products such as cassia into the Hong Kong market. In addition, the customs department has compressed the clearance time to within 24 hours through convenient measures such as "intelligent review+self-service printing" of certificates of origin and "5+2" appointment inspection, significantly improving export efficiency.
The global cinnamon sticks market is expected to reach 1.8755 billion US dollars by 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of 13.8%, with significant demand growth in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries. Chinese cinnamon sticks, with its rich aroma and affordable price, has covered more than 20 countries and regions in South Asia, the Middle East, Europe and America. For example, Guangdong Yunfu's "Guangdong cinnamon sticks" has passed the Hong Kong Quality Certification and become the preferred brand in the Southeast Asian market. In the high-end market, Guangxi Wanshanhong Company's organic cinnamon sticks has obtained national certification, with a product premium rate of 30%, successfully entering high-end markets such as the European Union and Japan. Meanwhile, cross-border e-commerce and international exhibitions have become new channels for brand promotion. Yunfu is expanding its online sales through the WebX global digital industry base, and the proportion of online exports is expected to increase to 25% by 2025.
Faced with challenges from competitors such as Vietnam and Indonesia, China's cinnamon sticks industry has consolidated its advantages through sustainable development and quality control. Although Vietnam leads in export volume (accounting for 34.4% of the world's total in 2023), its products are mainly made of primary raw materials, with less than 20% of deep processing. China has increased its market share in the European Union from 15% in 2020 to 22% in 2025 through organic certification and environmentally friendly planting practices, such as the seedless yellow bark and cinnamon sticks intercropping model in Guangxi. In addition, the efficient transportation of the China Europe freight train (compressing the Xi'an to Europe route to 10 days) and the improvement of the ASEAN logistics network have further reduced transportation costs and enhanced its penetration into the European and Middle Eastern markets.
By 2025, the foreign trade advantage of Chinese cinnamon sticks will not only be reflected in scale and cost, but also occupy a more important position in the global value chain through technological innovation, policy coordination, and brand upgrading. Faced with international competition, China's industry is moving towards "greening, high-end, and internationalization" to promote the transformation of cinnamon sticks from "Made in China" to "Intelligent Manufacturing in China", providing global consumers with higher quality and more sustainable spice solutions. The sustained release of this advantage will further consolidate China's leadership position in international spice trade and write a new chapter in the "Guixiang World".
Post time: May-21-2025