
University of Dundee

In 2021, China became the UK’s biggest export market in East Asia and the sixth biggest export market worldwide for food and drink products, according to the Food and Drink Federation (FDF). Not only have UK exports of food and drink to China increased by 12.5% in 2021 from the year before - reaching £802.8 million in value - but export volumes were also seeing similar numbers to UK imports of food and drink from China over the same period.
On the topic of product categories, the top three exports to China by value are pork (£239.6 million), whisky (£200.1 million), and salmon (£45.6 million), which together made up 60% of the sector’s exports to China in 2021. Compared to 2020, exports of whisky and salmon rose significantly by 84% and 194.3%, respectively. Pork exports, however, dropped slightly by 14.3% but maintained the biggest share by value.
For the health food and drink market, health concerns, an ageing population, and the expansion of China’s middle-class will continue to drive future growth. 18% of Chinese consumers are already consuming meat alternatives, which may come to impact China’s demand for pork and beef in the future. Spurred by COVID-19, the demand for dietary supplements, immune system-boosting foods, and energy drinks are also expected to climb. Looking ahead, the functional food market in China is estimated to be worth RMB 600 billion (£69.8 billion) in 2022.
Meat and Seafood
Pork
Salmon
Dairy
Alcoholic drinks
Non-alcoholic drinks
Snacks
Consumer behaviour has also changed in the post-pandemic era. For example, Chinese consumers no longer primarily focus on food safety when making purchasing decisions; they now pay more attention to choosing foods that will help them maintain a healthy diet with balanced nutrition and reduced sugar and fat. In terms of purchasing channels, it is found that Chinese consumers are increasingly turning to digital mediums when making purchases: 71.0% of Chinese consumers say that they are happy to shop directly on social media and social commerce platforms —around 30% higher than the global average. The proportion is even higher among millennials and Gen Z, reaching 80%.
As for more traditional trade and e-commerce (Compared to general trade and domestic e-commerce), cross border e-commerce (CBEC) is a more direct business to consumer (B2C) sales channel for UK brands to enter the China market. According to data from iiMedia Research in 2021, 65.3% of users believe that they have seen an increase in their usage of CBEC platforms.
Livestreaming is yet another sales and marketing tool that has gained popularity among young Chinese consumers during the pandemic. Various platforms including Taobao Live provide opportunities for KOLs and KOCs to directly promote and sell products via livestreaming to millions of viewers. According to the 2021 Taobao Live broadcast report, the transaction value of food categories in Taobao live broadcast rooms increased by 184% year-on-year in 2020.
China Consumer 2022 Conference Day Panel Sessions Recordings
Livestream recording of China Food & Drink Programme Scotland - Edinburgh, March 2022 - organised by the China-Britain Business Council in partnership with Scottish Development International.
China’s New Registration Requirements for Food and Drink Manufacturers – What You Need to Know
How do international FMCG brands develop and operate an E-commerce store in China
Optimising your food and drink exports to China (February 2020)
How to Win Business in the Chinese Cross-border e-commerce market (February 2020)
China Food and Drink Market in 2021 – All you need to know (February 2021) - Part 1, Part 2
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