The export volume of traditional Chinese medicine and prepared slices decreased in the first half of 2015

According to statistics from the Department of traditional Chinese Medicine of the China Chamber of Commerce for importers of Medical and Health products, the export value of Chinese herbal medicines and prepared slices in the first half of 2015 was 550 million US dollars, down 7.50 percent from the same period last year, mainly reflected in the 10.43 percent drop in average export prices compared with the same period last year. This is the first decline in export volume since the great bull market in 2010.

I. exports from traditional Asian markets have declined slightly

For a long time, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and ASEAN countries are the main export markets of traditional Chinese medicine and prepared slices in China. These markets account for 82.64% of China's total exports of traditional Chinese medicinal materials and prepared slices, down 2.66% from 85.3% in 2013.

Japan: in the first half of 2015, the export value of Chinese herbal medicines and slices to Japan was 92.1847 million US dollars, down 27.20% from the same period last year. The decline in Japanese market export volume, in addition to some force majeure factors, is also related to the continuous improvement of Japan's requirements for the quality of raw materials of Chinese medicinal materials. In recent years, the domestic resources of wild and high-quality medicinal materials are decreasing day by day, and some Japanese enterprises are in order to ensure a stable supply of goods. It has been suitable for growing some Chinese herbs in Vietnam, South America and other regions. At present, China's exports to Japan are mainly wild licorice, high-quality Pinellia ternata, Poria cocos, Panax notoginseng, Radix Paeoniae Alba and ginseng.

Hong Kong: in the first half of 2015, mainland exports of traditional Chinese medicine and prepared slices to Hong Kong were US $185 million, down 18.14% from the same period last year. Hong Kong's entrepot trade advantage declined. At present, the main products of traditional Chinese medicine exported from the mainland to Hong Kong are Notoginseng, Codonopsis, Eucommia ulmoides, Atractylodes macrocephala, Chrysanthemum, Ligusticum chuanxiong, Radix Paeoniae Alba, Panax ginseng and Radix Rehmanniae. Hong Kong has always been the main import market of Cordyceps sinensis in the mainland. with the continuous rise in the price of Cordyceps sinensis in the past few years, the export volume of Cordyceps sinensis began to decline year by year, although the market price of Cordyceps sinensis this year was larger than that of previous years. However, due to the overall economic situation is not good, exports are still in a downward trend.

II. Diversified development of export enterprises of traditional Chinese medicine and prepared slices

Private enterprises are the main force in promoting the export of traditional Chinese medicine and prepared slices. In the first half of 2015, the number of mainland exporters of traditional Chinese medicine and prepared slices was 486, with an export value of US $400 million, accounting for 72.39%; the number of foreign-funded enterprises was 89, and the export volume was US $78.4128 million, accounting for 14.31%; and the export amount of state-owned enterprises accounted for 13.29%. It is worth noting that among private enterprises, the export volume of private enterprises accounts for 69.34%.

Guangdong and Guangxi mainly export with the help of regional advantages. Guangdong Province is adjacent to Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southeast Asia and other major export destinations of Chinese herbal medicines and slices, and its products are mainly ginseng, astragalus, Radix Rehmanniae and Codonopsis pilosula, while Guangxi is because of its geographical location close to Vietnam. Most of the prepared slices of Chinese herbal medicines are exported to Vietnam through border trade.

In terms of export volume, Anhui's export volume of traditional Chinese medicine ranked first in the country in the first half of 2015, and Anhui's export of traditional Chinese medicine was mainly concentrated in Bozhou. Bozhou City is the famous "capital of Chinese medicine". The planting area of traditional Chinese medicine accounts for about 10% of the whole country, and the annual output of prepared pieces of traditional Chinese medicine accounts for about 1 × 3 of the whole country. A relatively complete industrial system has been initially formed, such as planting, processing, marketing, scientific research, exhibition, tourism, health care and so on.

III. The volume and price of the export of mainstream medicinal materials vary from one to another.

The export volume of ginseng decreased significantly compared with the same period last year. The price of ginseng rose high two years ago, although it has been reduced at present, but its price is still high. In 2012, ginseng can be directly added to all kinds of food as the raw material of food and beverage. this will open a broad new way for the development of ginseng health food in our country, and the export price of ginseng is rising steadily. For a period of time, even customers in Europe and the United States who have never hoarded goods in the past have replenished goods. But after ginseng export prices rose 55% year-on-year in 2012, the increase slowed significantly. In the first half of 2015, China's ginseng export volume was only 456201 kg, down 35.89% from the same period last year, and the export price was 114.07 US dollars / kg, up 6.18% from the same period last year.

The export of Chinese wolfberry basically increased steadily. In recent years, with the gradual understanding and recognition of the health efficacy of Chinese wolfberry in the international market, Chinese wolfberry has gradually entered the western mainstream society from the traditional Asian and Chinese markets. At present, Chinese wolfberry has always been the largest variety in exports of medicinal materials and slices in China. In the first half of 2015, the export volume of Chinese wolfberry was 4900520 kg, down 8.43% from the same period last year, and the export price was 11.94 US dollars / kg, up 28.74% from the same period last year.

Although there is only a slight decline in the export of medicinal materials and slices in China in the first half of 2015, the rising labor costs of enterprises and some countries to strengthen the standard testing of heavy metals and agricultural residues and other measures should also cause our high attention, and we can still be cautiously optimistic about the future.