China Cold Chain Market Size and Share Outlook - Forecast Trends and Growth Analysis Report (2024-2032)

China Cold Chain Market Growth

Fish, Meat, and Seafood is the Dominant Application Sector in the Market

The fish, meat, and seafood application segment accounted for the highest share across the cold chain market in China. It is also likely to hold a dominant share over the forecasted period. Rising demand for imported food products, including Japanese lobsters, Scottish Crabs, Alaskan black cod, and Canadian lobsters, coupled with a shifting trend towards the adoption of online services seafood, are expected to boost the growth of the China cold chain market.

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China Cold Chain Market Trends

The cold chain industry is estimated to witness significant growth in the upcoming years. This can be attributed to the rapid technological advances across sectors like the storage, processing, and packaging of seafood. The booming demand for seafood among the millennial population and the surging development of cold chain infrastructure is likely to drive the market growth. One major trend in China cold chain market is that various companies are increasing the number of distribution centres, warehouses, cold chain trucks, and logistic support for widening their geographical reach and product portfolio.

The rising influence of online channels, chilled and frozen foods, is estimated to propel market growth. Stringent policies and regulations to ensure quality control of food products and the import of chilled and frozen food products, like seafood and meat, have also improved cold chain logistics. As a result of implementing various laws by government agencies to ensure food quality, warehouse operators are now required to maintain separate temperature zones. Furthermore, the country's government supports several projects and efforts to promote better cold storage and transportation options to grow the cold chain industry. This can be due to expanding consumer awareness of hygiene and healthy eating habits and rising consumer concerns about food quality and safety.

Recent Developments

As per the China cold chain market dynamics and trends, the 2024 Government Work Report stated that the Chinese government is focusing on the development of logistics systems, in rural areas, to improve supply chain operations for all products including the temperature sensitive ones.

Industry Outlook

As per the China cold chain industry analysis, as of September 18, 2022, the country had around 67,461 domestic companies that were involved in cold chain manufacturing, leasing, logistics, wholesale and retail, among other operations. In Eastern China, there is a rising focus on the construction of green warehouses with LEED certifications, in Western China, the rapid rise of NEV has led to stable warehouse demand, whereas in Southern China, several light-manufacturing companies are looking for light warehouses. These varying demands for warehouses, including cold warehouses in different regions may have an impact on how the orders are processed as well as the cold chain sector.

International companies are making efforts to enhance their cold chain access in the country, which can further contribute to the growth of the China cold chain industry. For instance, United Parcel Service Inc. announced that it has launched the UPS Premier service in China in 2024. This service eases the tracking of temperature-sensitive shipments in the supply chain and ensures the timely delivery of the products.

Advancements and Growth in Cold Storage Logistics for Perishable Goods

• Rapid expansion of cold storage facilities to meet the growing demand for perishable goods.
• Integration of advanced technologies like IoT and AI for temperature monitoring and supply chain optimization.
• Strong presence of established logistics companies with extensive distribution networks can boost China cold chain demand growth.

Challenges in Maintaining Efficient Cold Storage and Logistics Operations

• High operational costs associated with maintaining and operating cold storage facilities.
• Infrastructure challenges in rural and remote areas affecting the efficiency of cold chain logistics.
• Dependency on continuous power supply and energy-intensive refrigeration systems can influence China cold chain demand forecast.

Growth and Innovation in Cold Chain Infrastructure for Perishable Goods

• Increasing investment in cold chain infrastructure by e-commerce giants to ensure the quality of perishable goods.
• Expansion of the pharmaceutical sector driving demand for specialized cold chain solutions.
• Development of smart logistics solutions for real-time tracking and monitoring of perishable goods can fuel China cold chain market expansion.
• Exploring untapped markets in Tier 3 and Tier 4 cities with rising consumer demand for fresh and frozen products.

Economic and Regulatory Challenges in Cold Chain Logistics Management

• Economic volatility and fluctuations in consumer spending impacting cold chain logistics demand.
• Intense competition among local and international logistics providers.
• Regulatory changes and compliance requirements posing challenges for cold chain management and affecting China cold chain market value.
• Fluctuations in energy prices affecting the cost of cold storage and transportation.

Major Applications of Cold Storage Facilities in China Cold Chain Market Share

• Food and Beverage Storage: Cold storage is critical for preserving perishable food products such as fruits, vegetables, meat, seafood, dairy products, and beverages. It helps maintain freshness, prevent spoilage, and extend shelf life.
• Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare: Cold storage is used to store temperature-sensitive medical supplies, vaccines, drugs, and biological samples. Proper temperature control is crucial to maintaining the efficacy of these products.
• Frozen Foods: Frozen food items, including ready-to-eat meals, frozen vegetables, ice cream, and meat products, require cold storage to maintain their quality during distribution and storage, which can increase China cold chain market revenue.
• Agricultural Produce: Cold storage facilities are used to store harvested crops, such as grains, fruits, and vegetables, before they are processed or sold, preserving their freshness and preventing loss due to spoilage.
• Dairy Products: Cold storage helps in storing and distributing dairy products like milk, cheese, butter, and yogurt, ensuring they remain fresh and safe for consumption.
• Floral Industry: Cold storage is used to extend the life of flowers and plants during transport and storage, ensuring they remain fresh for retail.
• Meat and Seafood: Cold storage is essential for maintaining the quality and safety of meat and seafood products by slowing down bacterial growth and preventing spoilage that can aid China cold chain demand.
• Processed and Packaged Foods: Cold storage helps in preserving processed and packaged foods, such as sauces, snacks, and baked goods, ensuring they maintain their quality and are fit for consumption for extended periods.

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China Cold Chain Industry Segmentations

“China Cold Chain Market Report and Forecast 2024-2032” offers a detailed analysis of the market based on the following segments:

Cold chains provide storage and distribution for products that must be kept at a specific temperature. Cold chains are required for milk, fruits and vegetables, seafood, meat, and poultry products. Most of these goods are temperature sensitive and must be stored and transported within particular temperature ranges. As a result, the country now has a fairly significant cold chain infrastructure.

By type, the market is divided into:

• Storage
  • Warehouse
    • Bulk Storage
    • Production Stores
    • Ports
  • Refrigerated Container
    • 20 ft.
    • 40 ft.
    • 48 ft.
    • 53 ft.
  • Transportation
    • Road
    • Sea
    • Rail
    • Air
  • Monitoring Components
    • Hardware
      • Sensors
      • RFID Devices
      • Telematics
      • Networking Devices
    • Software

The significant applications of the China cold chain market are:

• Fruits and Vegetables
• Dairy
• Fish, Meat, and Seafood
• Processed Food
• Pharmaceuticals

The regional markets for the cold chain industry can be divided into Beijing, Shanghai, Shandong, Tianjin, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou.

China Cold Chain Market Share

The application segment of processed food is likely to register a significant increase from 2023 to 2027 owing to several factors, including improved packaging materials, rapid technical innovation, and the growing adoption by major companies. E-commerce players focus on tapping growing opportunities in cold chain logistics owing to the potential presented by chilled and frozen food products, like fish, meat, and seafood and fuel the cold chain market share in China. Increasing import of various seafood products from different countries is also encouraging e-commerce players to adopt advanced chilling and storage infrastructure to maintain food quality and efficiently distribute them to consumers.

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Competitive Landscape

The report gives a detailed analysis of the following key players in the China cold chain industry, covering their competitive landscape, capacity, and latest developments like mergers, acquisitions, and investments, expansions of capacity, and plant turnarounds:

• Sinotrans Limited
• Arcticold Food Ltd.
• Shandong Gaishi International Logistics Group  
• S.F. Express Co., Ltd.
• Rokin Inc.  
• Others

The comprehensive EMR report provides an in-depth assessment of the market based on the Porter's five forces model along with giving a SWOT analysis.

Key Indicators of Prices

• Fluctuations in energy costs impacting refrigeration and transportation expenses.
• Costs associated with the implementation and maintenance of advanced cold chain technologies.
• Regulatory fees and compliance costs influencing the overall pricing of cold chain services.
• Market demand for high-quality and reliable cold chain logistics affecting price dynamics can hinder China cold chain market opportunities.