China's lemon hub expands ASEAN markets with fast-track exports

A cross-border cold-chain highway truck carrying 28 tonnes of fresh lemons departed from southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, traveled 1,300 km and arrived in Vietnam in 48 hours.

The highway freight service along the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor in mid-April marked the first time that Tongnan lemons, a geographical indication product in Chongqing's Tongnan District, have been directly supplied to Vietnam, slashing transit time from six days to two.

"The new service has helped our lemons reach Vietnamese consumers' tables as quickly as possible," said Hu Zaiyang, manager of a local fruit dealer.

Nestled at 30 degrees of northern latitude, Tongnan boasts acidic soil and ideal irrigation, positioning it as a top global lemon producer alongside California and Sicily.

With 70 percent of China's lemon exports from Tongnan, the district has seen its lemons sold to more than 30 countries and regions.

In 2024, the area exported 39,000 tonnes of lemons, generating sales revenue of 265 million yuan (about 36.75 million U.S. dollars). In the first quarter of 2025, its lemon exports reached 6,200 tonnes, a year-on-year increase of 7.9 percent.

"We shipped over 4,000 tonnes of lemons to overseas markets, mainly Southeast Asian countries, last year, supplying more than 4,000 beverage stores abroad," said Huang Guanyi, overseas sales manager of a Chongqing agricultural company, adding that lemonade is a top seller for Mixue, a Chinese beverage giant, in Southeast Asia.

Chinese freshly brewed beverage brands like Gongcha and Mixue are becoming increasingly popular in Southeast Asian countries like Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore. These brands have become a familiar sight on the bustling streets of major cities.

As of January 2024, Mixue had opened over 36,000 stores worldwide, nearly 4,000 of which are located in 11 overseas countries, making Mixue the leading freshly brewed tea beverage brand in Southeast Asia. The booming beverage business has greatly boosted lemon exports from China.

In September 2024, the Malaysia Tongnan Lemon Trading Center officially began operations in Kuala Lumpur, creating a two-way investment platform to boost trade through joint branding and marketing initiatives for ASEAN markets.

Singapore and other regions also host Tongnan lemon overseas warehouses and innovation hubs to streamline trade and advance digital agriculture.

"We will strengthen technical guidance and quality control at production bases, support lemon industry associations and businesses in expanding overseas markets, and provide enhanced services to help Tongnan lemons reach broader markets," said Fu Qiang, a Tongnan official in charge of the lemon industry development.