Chongqing - From processing lines in Chongqing to store shelves overseas, the city’s agricultural exports surged 58.1% year on year to 1.34 billion yuan (about 197.9 million U.S. dollars) in the first half of 2026, supported by direct sales channels and faster logistics.

The factory of Xuewang Agriculture (Chongqing) Co., Ltd. in Tongnan District, Chongqing. (Photo/Zheng Ran)

The growth reflects a shift away from relying mainly on fresh produce toward exporting a broader range of higher-value products.

At a lemon-processing plant in Tongnan District, fresh fruit is cleaned, graded and packed for export to Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Lower-grade and smaller lemons are sent to production lines that extract pectin and essential oils or make freeze-dried slices for markets including the European Union, Japan and South Korea.

The factory of Xuewang Agriculture (Chongqing) Co., Ltd. in Tongnan District, Chongqing. (Photo/Zheng Ran)

"Several years ago, fresh fruit was our only export route, with thin profits, intense price competition and high risks," said Hu Zejiang, chairman of Tongnan District Agricultural Investment Group and head of the Chongqing Lemon Industry Association.

Hu said companies have since connected planting, sorting, preservation, processing and cross-border sales into one production chain. Fresh-fruit exports provide volume, while processed products generate higher returns and allow year-round supply.

In the first half of 2026, Chongqing's lemon export volume and average price both increased, Hu said. More than 60% of fresh lemon exports went to members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, a trade agreement covering 15 Asia-Pacific economies.

A batch of lemons bound for Malaysia at Xuewang Agriculture's factory in Chongqing. (Photo/Zheng Ran)

Citrus exporters are making similar changes. Companies have expanded late-ripening varieties and combined them with early- and mid-season fruit, extending the export season from three months to as long as eight months. Some firms also process lower-grade fruit into juice, pulp and dried products.

Fengjie navel oranges, another major Chongqing agricultural product, have now reached 17 countries and regions, according to Zhou Jian, general manager of Chongqing Kuimen International Import and Export Trading Co. The brand was valued at 38.17 billion yuan, the highest among Chongqing agricultural brands.

Exporters are also reducing their reliance on coastal trading companies.

In the past, many small agricultural businesses lacked export licenses and direct access to overseas buyers. They depended on intermediaries for orders, pricing and distribution. More companies are now building their own foreign-trade teams, attending international food exhibitions and signing supply agreements directly with supermarkets and fresh-food platforms in Southeast Asia.

Improved transport has supported that transition. The New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC), a logistics network linking western China with overseas markets through rail, road and sea routes, has introduced refrigerated services and integrated logistics, trade and overseas warehousing.

Cross-border trucks using the corridor have cut delivery time to Vietnam from six days to two, while reducing transport costs by 200 yuan per metric ton, according to New Land-Sea Corridor Operation Co., Ltd.

Chongqing has also expanded quality controls and certification. In Yunyang County, 116 companies have registered with customs, alongside two export fruit-sorting plants and 12 food-processing factories. Export products are subject to controls covering cultivation, pesticide use, sorting, testing and cold-chain transport.

Local authorities said the next step will focus on standardized farming, deeper processing, cold-chain supply networks and brand development.