On January 11, in Baiyang Village, Anxi Town, Xinjin District, Chengdu, a large refrigerated truck loaded with citrus slowly departed. This batch of fruit is destined for Malaysia. "Since we first tapped into the international market in December 2025, we have exported over 1,000 tons of citrus varieties, including Ai Yuan and Bu Zhi Huo. This January alone, we are fulfilling orders exceeding 200 tons," said Liu Wei, head of the fruit and vegetable cold-chain sorting and packaging center.

This shipment of citrus destined for Malaysia is not an isolated case. Recently, there have been frequent reports of successful "overseas ventures" for Sichuan's agricultural products, with words like "first time" and "new addition" becoming trending buzzwords. The first batch of local caviar from Yingjing County, Ya'an City, has arrived in Southeast Asia, making it the second county in Sichuan, following Tianquan County, to achieve caviar exports. Zigong's rabbit meat products have made their international debut, shipped directly to the port of Dakar in Senegal, West Africa, achieving a breakthrough in the entire supply chain from farming to overseas dining tables. Liangshan's Jinyang County has achieved its first large-scale export of green Sichuan peppercorns, with 13.6 tons of dried peppercorns fetching a price of five to six yuan per jin (500 grams), higher than the market average for similar grades. Neijiang's Zizhong County has secured an additional 24,000-ton export order for blood oranges, expanding its reach to 14 countries and regions.

Why has Sichuan, a major agricultural province, witnessed a multi-faceted surge in its agricultural products "going global" recently? What gives them the edge in winning over the palates of overseas consumers?

Standout Single Products Drive Continued Expansion in Fruit and Aquatic Exports

Among Sichuan's agricultural exports, aquatic products, beverages, fruits, vegetables, and livestock products ranked as the top five categories, accounting for 48.6 percent of the total export value. Take fruit, for example. With its diverse varieties and off-season availability, fruit is a traditional bulk category in Sichuan's agricultural exports.

A case in point is Meishan's Danling late-maturing citrus. Since its initial export to Thailand at the end of 2023, it has gradually opened up export channels to countries such as Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, and Kazakhstan. In 2025, Danling exported 1,650 tons of late-maturing citrus, a figure that represents a staggering 237.41-fold increase compared to 2023. Currently, efforts are underway to promote the entry of these products into the European Union market, aiming to tap into broader international opportunities.

Total fruit export revenue continues to rise. From January to November 2025, Sichuan's fruit exports, primarily lemons and citrus, reached 940 million yuan, accounting for 12 percent of the province's total agricultural export value, with lemon exports ranking first nationwide.

Similarly strong are aquatic products, whose export volume consistently ranks first among all export categories. "Aquatic exports across the province are centered around fish oil, fish fat, and caviar," said a relevant official from the Exchange and Cooperation Division of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Fish oil exports rank first nationwide, while sturgeon caviar exports hold the second position, highlighting a pronounced advantage in these key products.

Exports of livestock products are also expanding. In 2025, the Tibetan fragrant suckling pig marked Sichuan's first export of frozen pork in recent years. Meanwhile, high-quality local livestock and poultry breeds have also successfully "gone global". On January 5, under the third phase of the China-FAO-Uganda South-South Cooperation project, Jianzhou big-eared goats exported from Jianyang, Chengdu, delivered two kids in Uganda—a first-time event that marks another milestone in Sichuan's effort to take its livestock breeds global.

In terms of export destinations, Sichuan's agricultural products reach over 120 countries and regions, with a primary focus on ASEAN countries. Indonesia, Viet Nam, and the Philippines are among the key export markets for Sichuan's agricultural goods.

Multiple Advantages Converge: Off-Season Supply, Quality Enhancement, and Strong Demand Collectively Drive Growth

Given the current complex and volatile international landscape, how has Sichuan managed to consistently expand the overseas market footprint of its agricultural exports?

Strong market demand, a uniquely favorable climate, quality-driven premium pricing, and standard enhancements are the core advantages that provide powerful support for the accelerated "going global" of Sichuan's agricultural products.

"In 2025, caviar sales increased by over 15 percent year-on-year," said Li Jun, Chairman of the Board of Sichuan Runzhao Fisheries Co., Ltd., located within the Cold-water Fish Modern Agricultural Park in Tianquan County, Ya'an City. He noted that the company has established a new 300-mu (approximately 20 hectares) farming base in Leshan, and once fully operational this year, the annual sturgeon production capacity is set to exceed 10,000 tons.

Li Jun's confidence in boldly increasing production capacity stems from strong market demand driven by supply shortages. From January to November 2025, Sichuan's caviar exports reached 47 tons, yet the global annual consumption of caviar stands at 500 to 600 tons, indicating substantial room for further market expansion.

Sturgeon require strict water temperature and quality conditions. Leveraging glacier meltwater from the eastern slope of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, Sichuan provides a naturally cold and clear aquatic environment, creating an exceptionally ideal habitat for sturgeon. This unique climatic advantage is the confidence behind Sichuan's ability to capture market share. "As major production areas like Ya'an continue to expand their capacity, Sichuan is making a full push to become the nation's top province for caviar exports," revealed an official from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Quality-driven premium pricing and standard enhancements are further boosting the export competitiveness of Sichuan's agricultural products. Citrus fruits exported from Baiyang Village, Anxi Town, Xinjin District, Chengdu, are priced over 30 percent higher abroad compared to domestic sales. Lai Ping, head of the Cash Crop Station in Fushun County, Zigong, noted that while Fushun County's citrus industry once relied on intermediaries for overseas sales, it has now transitioned to managing its own direct export operations. The county is currently applying for ISO quality management system certification, which is expected to double export prices from three yuan to six yuan per jin (500 grams) upon approval.

"Off-season timing is another key advantage," noted the official from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. Compared to produce from major agricultural provinces like Shandong and Hebei, Sichuan's products, such as fruit, vegetables, tea, and aquatic goods, capitalize on their staggered harvest windows to build distinctive competitiveness in the international market.

New Trends, New Strategies: Focusing on Market Demand and Competing on Product Quality

How can agricultural products achieve a more stable expansion into overseas markets? Sichuan Runzhao is exploring a shift in approach, transitioning from "exporting products" to "exporting a brand". In 2025, Sichuan Runzhao conducted a series of high-end brand promotion activities in countries including Singapore and the United Arab Emirates. "We focused on building deep collaborations with mid-to-high-end overseas restaurants and hotels to expand the application scenarios for Chinese caviar," said Li Jun. Currently, his company's products have entered over 30 countries and regions, including the United States and Europe, with newly developed markets in Viet Nam, Mexico, Malaysia, and Uzbekistan.

Similar new trends and strategies are being actively adopted across various regions. Zigong's rabbit meat products, which have "hopped" onto dining tables in West Africa, are focusing on market demand and competing through quality. "We continuously optimize our core products, such as the cold rabbit dish, based on the dietary customs and flavor preferences of different countries," said Wu Bencheng, founder of Sichuan Chengben Agricultural Development Co., Ltd. For instance, to meet the needs of Senegalese customers, who avoid cooking wine and are less inclined toward sweet-spicy tastes, the company has reduced the sugar and Sichuan peppercorn content in its traditional cold rabbit recipe. It has also developed new offerings like a non-spicy tender rabbit with corn and a curry-flavored rabbit dish.

To address issues such as subpar export standards, weak international brand recognition, and limited market channels, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs supports production bases to align with international markets by pursuing international standard certifications and registering international brands. These efforts aim to broaden the export channels for agricultural products and streamline the export service chain.

In December 2025, the Sichuan Agri-Trade Service Platform was officially inaugurated. The platform integrates full-chain data covering production, certification, logistics, finance, and legal services, providing export enterprises with comprehensive "one-stop" trade facilitation. "The platform aims to attract over 200 enterprises across the industry chain by 2026, establishing itself as the 'smart brain' and digital trade ecosystem driving agricultural products' expansion beyond Sichuan and into global markets," stated the official from the Exchange and Cooperation Division of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

In addition to strengthening products, bases, and platforms, Sichuan is also actively organizing various forms of overseas promotional activities.

Sichuan has set a clear objective for expanding its agricultural products internationally. As outlined in the Implementation Plan of Sichuan Province for Promoting the Work on Agricultural Product Exports, by the end of 2027, the province's agricultural export value is projected to exceed ten billion yuan, marking a new level of development in its export-oriented agriculture.