Garlic sales and exports from January to June 2026

Garlic exports have seen "increased volume but decreased value". Garlic is the largest vegetable category exported by China and possesses strong international competitiveness. Due to factors such as ample domestic supply and declining prices, the export scale of garlic has steadily expanded, while the export value has declined compared to the same period last year. Customs statistics show that from January to April 2026, China's garlic export volume reached 848,500 tons, up 11.6% year-on-year; the export value was $1.04 billion, down 15.8% year-on-year.

The export market exhibits high concentration, with the Asian market serving as the core target market and strong demand observed in Southeast Asia. From January to April, ranked by export volume, the top ten export markets for China's garlic were: Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, the United States, the Philippines, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, the Netherlands, and Brazil, accounting for a total export volume of 563,200 tons, or 66.4% of the total exports. Among these, exports to four Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia and Vietnam, amounted to 379,800 tons, representing 44.8% of the total exports. Indonesia remains the largest export destination for China's garlic, with export volumes and value reaching 163,300 tons and US$138 million, respectively, accounting for 19.2% and 13.3% of the total export volume and value, maintaining its leading market share.

Garlic exports primarily consist of fresh or refrigerated garlic and dried garlic products, maintaining a stable overall structure. From January to April, the cumulative export volume of fresh or refrigerated garlic reached 707,200 tons, up 11.9% year-on-year, accounting for 83.4% of total exports; the export value amounted to $674 million, down 21.2% year-on-year, representing 64.8% of total exports; major export markets included Indonesia, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Dried garlic exports totaled 85,000 tons, up 0.2% year-on-year, constituting 10.0% of total exports; the export value was $255 million, down 6.9% year-on-year, accounting for 24.5% of total exports; key export destinations were the United States, Germany, and Brazil. Other fresh or refrigerated garlic exports reached 38,300 tons, up 24.2% year-on-year, representing 4.5% of total exports; the export value stood at $60 million, down 1.7% year-on-year; primary export markets included the United States, the Netherlands, and Canada.

Garlic export prices have generally declined, with fresh or refrigerated garlic experiencing significant drops. From January to April, the average export price of China's garlic was $1,226 per ton, a year-on-year decrease of 24.6%. Fresh or refrigerated garlic saw the largest decline, with an average export price of $953 per ton, down 29.6% year-on-year; other fresh or refrigerated garlic products averaged $1,574 per ton, a drop of 20.9% year-on-year. Leveraging their value-added processing advantages, processed garlic products experienced relatively smaller price declines: dried garlic averaged $2,994 per ton, down 8.8% year-on-year; while processed or preserved garlic products averaged $3,362 per ton, down 14.1% year-on-year.

Garlic meal prices initially weakened before stabilizing with fluctuations at low levels. In the second quarter of 2026 (ending June 2, hereinafter the same), the quarterly average price was 4.56 yuan per kilogram, down 25% month-on-month and 40% year-on-year. Market supply remained ample while overall prices showed weakness. During April to May, early-maturing new garlic from Yunnan, Henan and other regions entered the market successively, significantly increasing fresh garlic supply. Supermarkets and catering businesses had no strong demand for stockpiling, resulting in sluggish market activity and persistently low prices. In June, concentrated harvesting of new garlic in Shandong's main production areas led to a substantial increase in supply, driving garlic prices lower and further depressing garlic meal prices. By late June, rising domestic and international demand is expected to gradually slow the price decline, leading to stabilization at low levels. In the third quarter, as new garlic enters the drying and storage phase with ample supply, garlic meal prices are projected to decline slightly to between 4.10 and 4.90 yuan per kilogram.

Garlic slice prices exhibited "volatility with a downward trend and decline from high levels." In the second quarter of 2026, the quarterly average price was RMB 14,578 per ton, representing a 14% decrease quarter-on-quarter and a 17% drop year-on-year. By phase: in early April, sufficient stock of aged garlic remained in production region cold storage facilities, coupled with temporary overseas restocking orders providing essential demand support, leading to stable or slightly strong garlic slice prices; by late April, new garlic batches arrived in southern markets alongside continuous sales of aged stock from cold storage, resulting in ample raw material supply and causing prices to fluctuate downward; from May to June, new garlic from Shandong's main production area entered the market, driving down raw material costs and further depressing prices; although a few fixed-term export orders supported higher price levels, this failed to reverse the overall weak trend. In the third quarter, fresh dried garlic entered large-scale markets with abundant processing materials, suggesting continued weakness in the garlic slice market.