24 Dec 2025 | By YGG
China’s TCM & Botanical Extract Sector Shows Robust Resilience: Q1–Q3 2025 Export Report
BEIJING, China – The latest trade data for the first three quarters of 2025 reveals a stabilizing and diversifying landscape for China’s medical and health product exports. Despite global economic fluctuations, the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) sector, particularly botanical extracts, continues to serve as a primary engine for international growth.
1. Botanical Extracts: The Resilience Leader
While the broader TCM category saw a slight valuation adjustment, Botanical Extracts emerged as the most resilient sub-sector.
- Positive Growth: Total trade value reached US$2.78 billion, representing a 1.77% year-on-year (YoY) increase.
- Export Strength: Export value stood at US$2.24 billion, growing by 2.62%.
- Market Insight: This growth signals a steady recovery in global demand for natural ingredients in the nutraceutical, functional food, and cosmetic industries.
2. Raw Herbs & Decoction Pieces: A Shift in Global Sourcing
The data reflects a complex shift in the raw material supply chain. While export values for raw herbs reached US$828 million (a decline of 6.86%), the import sector told a different story.
- Import Surge: China’s imports of raw herbs grew by 2.70%.
- The Global Hub Trend: This confirms China’s evolving role as the world’s primary processing and redistribution hub, sourcing high-quality global materials (such as licorice and spices) to meet both domestic and international manufacturing standards.
3. Western Medicine Outpaces Expectations
A significant highlight of the 2025 report is the explosive growth of Western Finished Medicines, which saw exports surge by 23.08%. This indicates that China’s pharmaceutical manufacturing is moving up the value chain, transitioning from purely raw material (API) supply to high-end finished dosage forms.
China’s Import & Export Statistics of Medical and Health Products (Jan–Sept 2025)
| Category | Total Trade (100M USD) | Export Value (100M USD) | Import Value (100M USD) | Total Trade YoY% | Export YoY% | Import YoY% |
| Total Medical and Health Products | 1,494.68 | 825.62 | 669.06 | 1.37 | 4.34 | -2.08 |
| I. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) | 58.86 | 37.54 | 21.32 | -4.78 | -3.39 | -7.13 |
| 1.1 Botanical Extracts | 27.82 | 22.42 | 5.40 | 1.77 | 2.62 | -1.59 |
| 1.2 Finished Chinese Medicines | 5.58 | 2.59 | 2.99 | -12.02 | -12.48 | -11.62 |
| 1.3 Raw Herbs and Decoction Pieces | 13.38 | 8.28 | 5.10 | -3.43 | -6.86 | 2.70 |
| 1.4 Health Supplements | 11.69 | 3.83 | 7.86 | -18.40 | -25.12 | -14.67 |
| II. Western Medicines | 805.36 | 418.42 | 386.94 | 1.81 | 4.77 | -1.21 |
| 2.1 Western Raw Materials (APIs) | 415.45 | 323.81 | 91.65 | 4.70 | 2.23 | 14.49 |
| 2.2 Finished Western Medicines | 238.23 | 64.13 | 174.11 | 8.48 | 23.08 | 3.94 |
| 2.3 Biochemicals | 151.67 | 30.48 | 121.19 | -13.16 | -0.13 | -15.92 |
| III. Medical Devices | 630.85 | 370.07 | 260.77 | 1.49 | 4.82 | -2.88 |
| 3.1 Medical Dressings | 34.10 | 30.22 | 3.88 | 2.64 | 2.97 | 0.19 |
| 3.2 Disposable Consumables | 111.14 | 80.95 | 30.19 | 4.86 | 6.55 | 0.58 |
| 3.3 Hospital Diagnosis and Treatment | 378.89 | 174.45 | 204.44 | 2.45 | 9.09 | -2.60 |
| 3.4 Rehabilitation and Health Care | 83.64 | 70.93 | 12.71 | -3.20 | -1.91 | -9.86 |
| 3.5 Dental Equipment and Materials | 23.09 | 13.52 | 9.56 | -11.69 | -12.76 | -10.13 |
Data Source: China Chamber of Commerce for Import & Export of Medicines & Health Products (CCCMHPIE). All rights reserved.
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