Cinnamon, an ancient spice derived from cinnamon bark, still radiates vitality in international trade in the 21st century. As a dual identity carrier of traditional Chinese medicinal materials and culinary seasonings, cinnamon's foreign trade market is presenting a complex situation of strong supply and demand, opportunities and challenges intertwined in 2025.
By 2025, the global cinnamon market is expected to surpass the $707 million mark, with China, as the largest producer and exporter, contributing 34.8% of the global market share. In standardized plantations in major production areas such as Guangxi and Yunnan, cinnamon trees sway in the subtropical monsoon. Their bark is processed using modern extraction techniques and transported via cold chain containers to spice markets in the Middle East, food processing plants in Southeast Asia, and organic supermarkets in Europe. It is worth noting that the Sri Lankan government has established a cinnamon development department, and Vietnam's 34.4% export share indicates the intensity of this "bark gold" competition.
The awakening of health awareness is reshaping consumer habits. The popularity of cassia lattes in the American catering market, the hot sale of anti saccharification cassia essence in Japanese drugstores, and the rediscovery of the hypoglycemic effect of cassia in traditional medicine in the Middle East have all woven a demand growth network. The Chinese food industry's preference for natural preservatives has led to an average annual increase of 8% in the use of cassia oil in the snack food industry. These demand signals are transmitted in real-time through cross-border e-commerce platforms. The digital marketing system of a company in Guangxi shows that its organic cassia has a repurchase rate of 42% on the Amazon platform.
Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction technology is rewriting industry rules. Compared to traditional steam distillation, the new technology increases the extraction rate of cinnamaldehyde by 35% while retaining more volatile components. After applying this technology, a leading enterprise in Guangdong increased the added value of its products by 22% and successfully entered the high-end health product market in Germany. However, technological upgrades have brought pressure on equipment investment, and small and medium-sized enterprises are facing a painful period of digital transformation. The industry's CR4 concentration has risen to 68%, and market reshuffling is inevitable.
The foreign trade environment shrouded in geopolitical clouds is full of variables. At the beginning of 2025, a Middle Eastern customer cancelled a 20 ton order due to exchange rate fluctuations, and the incidence of such cases in coastal export enterprises increased by 18% year-on-year. To address the challenges, some companies have adopted the "origin warehouse+overseas warehouse" model to reduce logistics costs by 15%. More noteworthy is that by applying for EU organic certification and US FDA food grade certification, some companies have expanded their export premium space to 40%.
The sustainable development strategy is reshaping the industrial value chain. The "Carbon Sink Meat Guilin" jointly built by a certain enterprise and farmers in Guangxi not only improves product quality but also generates carbon trading profits; The meat cassia residue biomass fuel developed by Vietnamese exporters has achieved a waste utilization rate of 85%. These innovative practices inspire us that when global trade enters the era of refined management, only by incorporating environmental values into business models can we establish a moat in fierce competition.
Looking back at the timeline of 2025, the history of powdered cassia's foreign trade is a chronicle of mutual learning among civilizations. From the sound of camel bells on the Silk Road to real-time orders on cross-border e-commerce, the fragrance of this oriental leaf has always carried humanity's yearning for a better life. Faced with the dual challenges of the new technological revolution and the restructuring of trade rules, if China's powdered cassia industry can grasp the wave of healthy consumption and deeply cultivate technological innovation, it will surely write a more brilliant chapter in the new order of global spice trade.
Post time: Mar-31-2025