In January 2021, China’s pesticide imports and exports both increased in both volume and value.

Release Date:

2021-03-24

1 General Overview

In January 2021, China’s pesticide imports and exports both increased year-on-year in terms of volume and value, with a trade surplus of US$1.01 billion. The total import and export volume (measured in physical quantities, the same below) reached 229,100 tonnes, up 14.32% year on year; the total import and export value amounted to US$1.207 billion, an increase of 11.03% compared with the same period last year.

2 Export Situation

In January, China’s pesticide exports posted year-on-year growth across both volume and value. Export volume reached 221,700 tonnes, up 14.40% year on year, while export value totaled US$1.108 billion, an increase of 9.86% compared with the same period last year.

From the perspective of active ingredients and formulated products, the volume of active ingredients declined slightly while their value increased marginally, whereas formulated products posted substantial year-on-year growth in both volume and value. Active‑ingredient exports totaled 67,100 tonnes, down 0.17% year on year, with export value reaching US$616 million, up 1.75%. Formulated‑product exports amounted to 154,600 tonnes, a year-on-year increase of 22.13%, and export value stood at US$492 million, up 22.00%.

By pesticide category, in terms of both export volume and value, only plant growth regulators recorded declines, while herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides all posted increases. Herbicide exports totaled 150,400 tonnes, with an export value of US$575 million; insecticide exports amounted to 47,500 tonnes, valued at US$348 million; and fungicide exports reached 21,100 tonnes, worth US$170 million.

3 Import Situation

In January, both the volume and value of China’s pesticide imports increased. The import volume reached 7,400 tonnes, up 11.89% year on year, while the import value totaled US$98 million, a year-on-year rise of 26.30%.

From the perspective of both active ingredients and formulated products, imports of both categories increased year over year, with active ingredients posting a higher growth rate than formulated products. Imports of active ingredients totaled 1,700 tonnes, up 19.32% year on year, with an import value of US$40 million, a year-on-year increase of 45.69%; imports of formulated products reached 5,700 tonnes, up 9.88% year on year, and amounted to US$58 million, a year-on-year rise of 15.64%.

By pesticide category, both insecticides and fungicides saw increases in both volume and value, while herbicide imports declined in volume but rose in value. Insecticide imports totaled 2,000 tonnes, with a value of US$43 million; fungicide imports amounted to 4,200 tonnes, valued at US$36 million; and herbicide imports stood at 1,200 tonnes, worth US$19 million.