China is one of the countries with the most abundant bamboo resources in the world, with 857 species of bamboo plants belonging to 44 genera. According to the results of the ninth general survey of forest resources, the area of bamboo forest in China is 6.41 million hectares, and the bamboo species, area and output all rank first in the world. China is also the first country in the world to recognize and utilize bamboo. Bamboo culture has a long history. The bamboo industry links the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries. Bamboo products are of high value and have a wide range of uses. More than 100 series of nearly 10,000 products have been formed, which are used in food. , packaging, transportation and medicine and other fields.
The “Report” shows that over the past 20 years, China’s bamboo industry has developed rapidly, and product categories and application functions have become more and more abundant. From the perspective of the international market, China occupies a decisive position in the international trade of bamboo products. It is the world’s most important producer, consumer and exporter of bamboo products, and at the same time, it is also a major importer of bamboo products. In 2021, the total import and export trade of bamboo and rattan products in China will reach 2.781 billion US dollars, of which the total export trade of bamboo and rattan products will be 2.755 billion US dollars, the total import trade will be 26 million US dollars, the total import and export trade volume of bamboo products will be 2.653 billion US dollars, and the import and export trade of rattan products will be 2.755 billion US dollars. Trade totaled $128 million. The total export trade of bamboo products was 2.645 billion US dollars, and the total import trade was 8.12 million US dollars. From 2011 to 2021, the export trade volume of bamboo products in China will show an overall growth trend. In 2011, China’s bamboo product export trade volume was 1.501 billion US dollars, and in 2021 it will be 2.645 billion US dollars, an increase of 176.22%, and the annual growth rate is 17.62%. Affected by the global new crown epidemic, the growth rate of China’s bamboo product export trade slowed down from 2019 to 2020, and the growth rates in 2019 and 2020 were 0.52% and 3.10%, respectively. In 2021, the growth of China’s bamboo product export trade will pick up, with a growth rate of 20.34%.
From 2011 to 2021, the total export trade of bamboo tableware in China will increase significantly, from 380 million US dollars in 2011 to 1.14 billion US dollars in 2021, and the proportion of China’s total bamboo product export trade will increase from 25% in 2011 to 43% in 2021; the total export trade of bamboo shoots and food grew steadily before 2017, peaked in 2016, totaled 240 million U.S. dollars in 2011, 320 million U.S. dollars in 2016, and dropped to 230 million U.S. dollars in 2020. Annual recovery to 240 million U.S. dollars, accounting for the proportion of China’s total bamboo product export trade reached a maximum of about 18% in 2016, and fell to 9% in 2021. From 2011 to 2021, the import trade volume of bamboo products in China will fluctuate as a whole. In 2011, the import trade volume of bamboo products in China was 12.08 million US dollars, and in 2021 it will be 8.12 million US dollars. From 2011 to 2017, the import trade of bamboo products in China showed a downward trend. In 2017, the import trade increased by 352.46%.
According to the analysis of the “Report”, in recent years, the annual growth rate of China’s bamboo product export trade has been low. With the demand for green products in domestic and foreign markets, it is urgent to find new growth points to stimulate the export of bamboo products. Compared with China’s bamboo product export trade, China’s bamboo product import trade volume is not large. China’s bamboo product trade products are mainly bamboo tableware and bamboo woven products. China’s bamboo product import and export trade is mainly concentrated in the developed southeast coastal areas, and Sichuan and Anhui provinces with rich bamboo resources are less involved in the trade.
“Bamboo instead of plastic” products are increasingly diversified
On June 24, 2022, relevant Chinese departments and the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization jointly launched the “Replace Plastic with Bamboo” initiative to reduce plastic pollution and address climate change. Plastic products are used in a considerable scale in China, which puts enormous pressure on environmental protection. In 2019 alone, the annual consumption of plastic straws in China was nearly 30,000 tons, or about 46 billion, and the per capita annual consumption of straws exceeded 30. From 2014 to 2019, the market size of disposable fast food boxes in China increased from 3.56 billion yuan to 9.63 billion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of 21.8%. In 2020, China will consume about 44.5 billion disposable lunch boxes. According to data from the State Post Bureau, China’s express delivery industry generates about 1.8 million tons of plastic waste every year. With the advancement of science and technology, the application of bamboo has begun to penetrate into many fields of industrial production. Some domestic enterprises have begun to produce “bamboo instead of plastic” products, such as bamboo fiber towels, bamboo fiber masks, bamboo toothbrushes, bamboo paper towels and other daily necessities. Bamboo straws, bamboo ice cream sticks, bamboo dinner plates, disposable bamboo lunch boxes and other catering supplies. Bamboo products are quietly entering people’s daily life in a new form.
The “Report” shows that according to China Customs statistics, the total export value of “replacing plastic with bamboo” products is 1.663 billion US dollars, accounting for 60.36% of the total product export value. Among them, the most exported products are bamboo round sticks and round sticks, with an export value of 369 million US dollars, accounting for 22.2% of the total export value of “bamboo instead of plastic” products. Followed by disposable bamboo chopsticks and other bamboo tableware, the total export value was 292 million US dollars and 289 million US dollars, accounting for 17.54% and 17.39% of the total product exports. Bamboo daily necessities, bamboo chopping boards and bamboo baskets accounted for more than 10% of all exports, and the rest of the products were exported less.
According to the statistics of China Customs, the total import value of “substituting bamboo for plastic” products is 5.43 million US dollars, accounting for 20.87% of the import of bamboo and rattan products. Among them, the most imported products are bamboo baskets and rattan baskets, with import values of 1.63 million US dollars and 1.57 million US dollars respectively, accounting for 30.04% and 28.94% of the total imports of “bamboo instead of plastic” products. Followed by other bamboo tableware and other bamboo chopsticks, the total imports were 920,000 US dollars and 600,000 US dollars, accounting for 17% and 11.06% of the total product exports.
The “Report” believes that at present, “replacing plastic with bamboo” products are widely used in daily necessities. Bamboo straws, an emerging product, are expected to replace paper straws and polylactic acid (PLA) biodegradable straws because of their “anti-scald, durable and not easy to soften, simple process and low cost”. A variety of disposable bamboo fiber tableware products have been put on the market in large quantities and exported to European and American markets. Disposable tableware raw materials can also use thin bamboo and bamboo strips to make tableware, such as plates, cups, knives and forks, spoons, etc. With the rapid development of logistics, the types of bamboo packaging have increased, mainly including bamboo woven packaging. Unlike traditional petrochemical-based plastics, bamboo-derived biodegradable plastics can effectively replace the market’s demand for plastics.
The carbon sequestration capacity of bamboo forest is much higher than that of ordinary trees, and it is an important carbon sink. Bamboo products maintain a low or even zero carbon footprint throughout the product life cycle, which helps to slow down climate change and plays an important role in achieving the goal of carbon neutrality. effect. Some bamboo products can not only replace plastics to meet people’s needs, but also meet the requirements of green environmental protection. However, most bamboo products are still in their infancy, and their market share and recognition need to be improved.
Post time: Mar-28-2023
