Investment in processing industry turns Chinese apples into juice exports.

In this report, ERS profi les the remarkable growth in China’s apple juice concentrate exports since the 1990s and analyzes the factors behind the boom. Investment in the juice processing industry brought apples from China to the world market in the form of apple juice concentrate. The United States is the largest buyer, and concentrate from China now accounts for two-thirds of the U.S. apple juice supply. China’s juice industry sustained its dramatic growth by expanding into the country’s hinterland with support from offi cials eager to develop the poor northwestern region. In recent years, rising apple prices have begun to act as a brake on the industry’s expansion, and the industry faces challenges in improving the quality of apples used for juice processing.