Chinese orange peel industry, as a model of combining traditional Chinese medicine culture with modern industry, shows strong development potential in 2025. With Xinhui, Guangdong as the core production area, Chinese orange peel continues to expand its market size by virtue of its unique medicinal value and diversified application scenarios (e.g., food, healthcare products, daily chemical products, etc.). Data shows that Chinese orange peel market scale has exceeded 10 billion yuan in 2019 and is expected to reach 20 billion yuan in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of more than 10%. This growth is attributed to policy support, technological innovation and upgrading of consumer demand.
The state has vigorously promoted the standardization and internationalization of the Chinese orange peel industry through policies such as the Outline of the Strategic Plan for the Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine (2016-2030). The government not only encourages the upgrading of planting technology, but also reduces enterprise costs and strengthens the industrial chain through tax incentives and financial subsidies. For example, Xinhui in Guangdong has formed a complete industrial chain from planting, processing to sales, and its products are famous for “thin skin, much oil, and strong aroma”, occupying a dominant position in the domestic high-end market.
The transformation of tangerine peel processing technology from traditional drying to low-temperature drying, vacuum freeze-drying and other modern techniques has promoted the development of high value-added products. For example, high-tech products such as essential oils, extracts and health care products of tangerine peel have gradually become the main export force. In addition, the application field of tangerine peel has been broadening, extending from traditional Chinese medicine formula to tea, pastry and cosmetics, etc., which meets the diversified demands for health products in the international market.
Regional brands such as “Xinhui tangerine peel” have gained global recognition through international expositions and cultural festivals. The global dissemination of Chinese medicine culture has further strengthened the positioning of tangerine peel as the“Oriental health symbol”, especially in Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States, where consumers' recognition of the medicinal and health care functions of tangerine peel has increased significantly.
China's tangerine peel enterprises have responded to the international market demand by flexibly adjusting their supply chain. For example, in response to the hot and humid climate in Southeast Asia, enterprises have launched tangerine peel tea in moisture-proof packaging; in response to the preference for organic food in the European and American markets, they have developed additive-free tangerine peel snacks. This localization strategy makes China tangerine peel take the initiative in the international competition.
With the “Belt and Road” policy dividend, China's diced orange peel export coverage from the traditional Chinese market to the Middle East, Europe and other places. According to the data, in 2025, the overseas sales of Xinhui diced orange peel increased by 45% year-on-year, and the output reached 216,000 tons, with the export volume rising year by year. In addition, China has further enhanced the international discourse of diced orange peel by participating in the development of international standards (e.g., quality certification of Chinese herbal medicines).
The growth in overseas demand has forced the domestic industry to upgrade. For example, the tightening of export standards has prompted enterprises to strengthen quality control and promote the greening and standardization of diced orange peel cultivation. Meanwhile, international competition has accelerated industry consolidation, with head enterprises expanding their scale through mergers and acquisitions, and small and medium-sized farmers enhancing their bargaining power through the cooperative model.
Diced orange peel export is not only a commodity trade, but also a carrier of Chinese medicine culture. Overseas consumers understand the concept of Chinese medicine and health care through diced orange peel products, which indirectly drives the development of Chinese medicine diagnosis and treatment, health care tourism and other related industries.
Despite the positive prospects, the industry is still facing challenges: firstly, the blind expansion of planting in some production areas has led to an imbalance between supply and demand; secondly, imitations in the international market have affected the credibility of the brand. In this regard, the government needs to strengthen origin certification and intellectual property protection, while enterprises need to realize traceability management through block chain technology to consolidate consumer trust.
In 2025, China's orange peel granules industry has demonstrated strong competitiveness in the international market thanks to policy support, technological innovation and cultural heritage. In the future, as the wave of global health consumption continues to heat up, orange peel granules is expected to be upgraded from a “Chinese specialty product” to a “global health symbol”, injecting new growth momentum for China's foreign trade. This process not only requires the collaborative innovation of all links in the industrial chain, but also deepens the sense of identity in the international market through cultural empathy, and ultimately realizes the win-win situation of economic value and cultural value.
Post time: Feb-19-2025