Official Trade Data Shows Which Categories Are Growing — and What Chinese Food Export Services Must Now Cover for American Importers
Executive Summary
| Section | Key takeaway |
| 2025 baseline | Agricultural exports to the US fell 13.6%; imports centred on processed, frozen and seasoned lines. |
| 2026 rebound | First-half exports rose 11.2% to USD 5.34 billion, led by spices, fruit and fish products. |
| Export services and compliance | New 12.5% Section 301 duty, FDA re-registration by 31 December 2026, no Chinese meat products. |
| Outlook | Value-added categories grow as compliance tightens; FSMA 204 applies from 20 July 2028. |
| Bottom line | Pair growth categories with suppliers ready for US requirements. |
For American importers, deciding which Chinese food categories to source is now closely tied to how those products clear US entry rules. China’s agricultural exports to the US fell 13.6% in 2025, according to Chinese customs statistics published by the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal By-Products (CFNA). In the first half of 2026, China’s agricultural exports to the US recovered to USD 5.34 billion, up 11.2% year on year. Because that customs category also includes tobacco, which made up 22.4% of the total, this article looks at food categories individually.
Jade Premium, established in 2014 as part of Yuhu Group (Hong Kong), works with international importers sourcing from verified Chinese manufacturers. Below, we look at where demand stands, which categories are leading the rebound, and what Chinese food export services need to cover for US importers today.
Where Chinese Food Exports to the US Stood in 2025
In 2025, US food imports from China were concentrated in processed, frozen and seasoned products rather than fresh or bulk commodities. UN Comtrade data on US imports from China shows three established lines:
- Fish fillets and other fish meat: USD 896 million, the largest single seafood line
- Prepared or preserved vegetables, fruit and nuts: USD 892 million
- Sauces and mixed condiments: USD 139 million, with a further USD 40 million in soups and broth preparations
China’s overall position has narrowed. NOAA Fisheries data compiled by Mississippi State University Extension shows China’s share of US seafood import value falling from 12.77% in 2018 to 4.80% in 2025. Yet the lines above still carry meaningful value, and they share a pattern: each relies on processing, freezing or seasoning carried out at origin. That is where Chinese suppliers continue to compete, and where the 2026 recovery is taking shape.
The Chinese Food Export Categories Driving the 2026 Rebound
The 2026 recovery in China’s food exports to the US is being led by spices, fish products and fruit products, according to CFNA’s half-year analysis of customs data. The table below summarises the main movements for January to June 2026.
| Category | Exports to the US, Jan–Jun 2026 | What buyers should note |
| Spices and seasonings | USD 110 million, up 35.4% | Raw spices feed a wider condiment and hot pot base category |
| Fish and fish products | Up 15.3%, within seafood exports of USD 980 million (up 9%) | Growth sits in fish; shrimp and prawn products fell 13.1% |
| Fruit and fruit products | USD 370 million, up 26.9% | Juice up 47.7%; dried fruit up 28.8% |
| Vegetables | USD 530 million, up 2.7% | Fresh garlic up 18.2%; frozen vegetables up 11.1% |
Spices, Sauces and Hot Pot Bases
Customs data separates raw spices, such as dried chilli and Sichuan peppercorn, from the compound condiments built on them. Spices were among the fastest-growing categories in the first half, and sauces and mixed condiments were already an established import line in 2025. Hot pot bases sit at the centre of this trend because they package a regional flavour into a format that a home cook or restaurant kitchen can use without specialist knowledge. Examples include a spicy rapeseed oil hot pot base stir-fried with Sichuan peppercorns and chilli, and a tomato hot pot base for a milder broth. Chilli oil, Sichuan pepper oil and lion’s mane mushroom sauce extend the same flavour range into everyday condiments. For buyers sourcing from Chinese hot pot base suppliers, a plant-oil base such as rapeseed or tomato also avoids the animal-ingredient restrictions covered below.
Fish Slices and Crayfish Tails
Within seafood, fish products are growing while shrimp declines. Ready-to-cook fish slices fit this demand well, particularly for hot pot restaurants and Asian grocers. Longsnout catfish slices are freshly cut from live fish and liquid-nitrogen frozen, cook in around 30 seconds and need no starch coating, while crisp grass carp slices offer a firmer bite for the same hot pot and Sichuan-style boiled fish dishes.
Crayfish is a mature category rather than a fast-growing one: China supplied an average of 64% of US crawfish imports between 2019 and 2025, down from 89% in 2010–2018, according to NOAA Fisheries data compiled by Mississippi State University Extension. In a category this established, differentiation comes from flavour and format. Pre-seasoned mala and garlic crayfish tails from Qianjiang, Hubei, are frozen in a liquid-nitrogen tunnel at –190°C and only need reheating. Our wholesale buyer’s guide to sourcing certified frozen crayfish covers the category in more detail.
What Chinese Food Export Services Must Cover for US Importers
Chinese food export services cover the end-to-end work of moving food from verified Chinese manufacturers to overseas buyers: supplier verification, FDA and USDA compliance screening, labelling review, customs clearance and cold-chain logistics. For US importers, these services now need to cover landed-cost planning, facility compliance and category-level market access, not just freight. Two requirements apply across every category:
- Tariffs: Chinese-origin food pays its normal (MFN) duty, any existing Section 301 duty of 7.5% or 25% depending on the tariff line, and an additional 12.5% Section 301 duty imposed by the Office of the US Trade Representative from 24 July 2026.
- FDA registration: facilities that manufacture, process, pack or hold food for the US must renew their registration between 1 October and 31 December 2026; the FDA treats registrations not renewed by the deadline as expired.
Beyond these, US import requirements for Chinese food change sharply by category:
| Category | US regulator | Key entry condition | Watch-out |
| Fish slices (e.g. grass carp) | FDA | Supplier operates under the FDA seafood HACCP rule; importer verifies the supplier under FSVP | Label must use the FDA-accepted market name for the species |
| Catfish and other Siluriformes | USDA FSIS | China is eligible for raw Siluriformes fish only, from FSIS-certified establishments, with reinspection at US entry | A proposed quota bill (not yet law) targets Chinese imports |
| Crayfish tails | FDA | Seafood HACCP; crustacean shellfish declared as a major allergen | The same proposed bill sets a crawfish quota for China |
| Hot pot bases, chilli oil and sauces | FDA | Full ingredient and allergen labelling, including sesame, soy and wheat | Beef tallow or other meat ingredients make a product ineligible; also review colour additives |
| Frozen dumplings, buns and dim sum | FDA (vegetable or seafood fillings); USDA FSIS (meat) | No Chinese meat products are eligible; poultry is limited to processed products from certified establishments | Hidden animal ingredients, such as lard in pastry or chicken powder in seasoning |
Frozen dim sum shows why screening has to happen before sourcing, not at the port. Under current USDA FSIS rules, a pork bun or beef dumpling made in China cannot enter the US, however good the product. Vegetable- and seafood-filled formats, by contrast, are regulated by the FDA, which makes plant-based Chinese dim sum the practical route for buyers who want this category from China.
This is the scope international buyers often look for when they search for Chinese food export services for US importers: product selection matched to market eligibility, ingredient and label review, documentation and customs clearance. It is why we see the role of a certified exporter as going well beyond paperwork. Jade Premium works with manufacturers across HALAL, HACCP, ISO22000 and FDA frameworks, with offices in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Chengdu, Wuhan and Changsha supporting checks on the ground.
| Planning to Import Chinese Food into the US? Category selection, ingredient screening and US market-access planning are easier to get right before the first order than after it. Talk to Jade Premium’s sourcing team to build a shortlist of Chinese food products that fits your channel and the US rules that apply to it. |
Looking Ahead: Growth Categories and Rising Compliance Expectations
China’s food exports to the US are recovering category by category, and the categories gaining ground are value-added ones: seasonings, fish products and fruit products. At the same time, the compliance bar is rising. Three milestones are worth tracking:
- 31 December 2026: deadline for FDA food facility registration renewal
- Pending: the Home Market Restoration Act of 2026, introduced by Senator Bill Cassidy, which proposes import quotas for Chinese crawfish and Siluriformes fish, with a 40% duty on volumes above quota
- 20 July 2028: compliance date for the FDA Food Traceability Rule (FSMA 204)
For importers, the opportunity lies in pairing growth categories with suppliers that are ready for these checks. Working with an experienced Chinese food exporter makes that pairing considerably easier, and our team is ready to help you build a shortlist that fits US requirements.
FAQs: Importing Chinese Food into the US
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