China Cold Chain Market Exceeds 585 Billion RMB, Creating New Export Opportunities for NZ

Summary

China’s cold chain logistics market is projected to exceed 585 billion RMB in 2026, according to the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing’s annual report released on 10 June. Fresh agricultural product imports and exports grew 7.5% year-on-year to 323.89 billion RMB in January-April 2026. Cross-border e-commerce has built over 2,500 overseas warehouses, while specialised cargo airports are now operational. The ISO 31510:2025 international cold chain standard has been formally implemented, signalling China’s push for globally integrated cold chain infrastructure. The sector is evolving beyond pure logistics into cross-industry, cross-domain, and cross-border integrated supply chain services.

Summary in Chinese

据中国物流与采购联合会6月10日发布的年度报告，2026年中国冷链物流市场规模预计超过5850亿元。2026年1-4月，鲜活农产品进出口总额约3238.91亿元，同比增长7.5%。跨境电商已建成超过2500个海外仓，专业货运机场已投入运营。ISO 31510:2025冷链国际标准正式实施，标志着中国正推动冷链基础设施与全球标准接轨。冷链行业正从单一物流服务向跨行业、跨领域、跨国界的综合供应链服务融合发展。

Comment

For New Zealand meat, dairy, seafood and fruit exporters, China’s cold chain upgrade translates directly into reduced post-harvest losses and lower last-mile delivery costs. The ISO 31510:2025 standard adoption means NZ exporters already compliant with international cold chain protocols will face fewer technical barriers at Chinese ports. The 2,500+ cross-border e-commerce warehouses represent a particularly relevant channel for NZ SMEs: rather than relying solely on traditional importers, smaller producers can now ship directly to Chinese consumers through platforms like Tmall Global and Douyin with greater confidence in cold chain integrity. This infrastructure maturation levels the playing field between large exporters and agile SMEs.

Comment in Chinese

对新西兰肉类、乳制品、海产品和水果出口商而言，中国冷链基础设施的升级直接意味着采后损耗降低和最后一公里配送成本下降。ISO 31510:2025标准的采用意味着已符合国际冷链规范的新西兰出口商在中国港口将面临更少的技术壁垒。2500多个跨境电商海外仓对新西兰中小企业尤为相关：小型生产商现在可以不再完全依赖传统进口商，而是通过天猫国际、抖音等平台直接向中国消费者发货，同时对冷链完整性更有信心。这种基础设施的成熟化正在拉大出口商与灵活中小企业之间的竞争差距。

Photo by Ruchindra Gunasekara on Unsplash

Source: CCTV News