At a critical time when the global nutrition and health value chain and industrial chain are being restructured, my country's dietary supplement industry has ushered in a new era of scientific research and industrial transformation, and new developments have also emerged in import and export trade.

　　Customs data show that from 2008 to 2023 , the import and export value of dietary supplements in China have shown an increasing trend year by year. According to statistics from the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Medicines and Health Products, the compound growth rate of the import value of dietary supplements in China has been 19.2% in the past 16 years , with 2010 , 2017 and 2020 being the peak years of growth, with year-on-year growth of 43.2% , 42.3% and 41.5% respectively ; the export value is also in a state of continuous growth, with a good development trend, increasing by about 13 times in 16 years , especially in 2010 , 2011 and 2013 , with year-on-year growth of 47.9% , 33.5% and 27.8% respectively .

Import market fluctuates, export market concentration is high

　　In the first quarter of 2024 , China's total import and export of dietary supplements was US$ 2.62 billion, with both import and export values increasing. Imports were US$ 1.65 billion, up 7.3% year-on-year , and exports were US$ 970 million, up 11.4% year-on-year . Among the specific categories of imports, the value of fish oil products and seal oil products increased; among the categories of exports, the value of fish oil products and vitamin products increased.

　　In terms of import market, the United States, Australia, Germany and Indonesia are the main import sources, of which the United States accounts for 17.4% , Australia accounts for 14.9% , and Germany accounts for 13.0% . Some European countries such as Germany, Italy, Russia, and Norway are showing growth, but the import amount of the United States, Japan and other countries has decreased year-on-year.

　　In the export market, in the first quarter of 2024 , the export market concentration was high, with the top ten markets accounting for 60.6% of the market share. Among them, exports to the United States increased by 36.3% and Malaysia increased by 142.9% .

　　Over the years, my country has maintained good trade cooperation relations with many countries in the field of dietary supplements.

　　The United States is the world's largest dietary supplement market and the country with the highest penetration rate of dietary supplements. The market is relatively mature. From 2014 to 2023 , the amount of dietary supplements imported from the United States by China showed a year-on-year growth pattern. The United States has been the main source of dietary supplements for China for many years. It ranked first from 2014 to 2017. It was overtaken by Australia from 2018 to 2020 , but became the largest source of imports again in 2021 and 2022. In 2023 , the import amount fell slightly for the first time, and the import share gradually decreased, from 26.1% in 2014 to 18.1 % in 2023 , and the proportion dropped significantly.

　　The United States is also one of China's important export markets, accounting for almost one-fifth of China's total export trade of dietary supplements, and has ranked first in exports for many years. However, in recent years, the United States' share in China's total export trade of dietary supplements has declined. In 2023 , the export value was US$ 457 million, a year-on-year decrease of 13.2% .

　　As the second largest source of dietary supplements for China, Australia maintained a good growth trend in 2022 and 2023. In 2023 , China's imports from Australia increased by 21.3% year-on-year . The export value of dietary supplements from China to Australia fluctuated, with significant growth in 2015 and 2018 , up 48.1% and 30.0% year-on-year respectively . The export value reached a certain peak in 2019, and the export value in 2020 and 2021 fell back. The export value in 2022 grew rapidly, up 48.3% year-on-year ; the export value in 2023 was US$ 90 million, down 14.0% year-on-year .

　　ASEAN is an important cooperation partner of China. In 2023 , China's imports from the 10 ASEAN countries amounted to US$ 1.15 billion, a year-on-year increase of 7.0% . The main importing countries were Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. Among them, the import value of bird's nest was US$ 720 million, a year-on-year increase of 10.7% . In 2023 , China's exports to Malaysia amounted to US$ 280 million, maintaining the rapid growth trend in 2022 , a year-on-year increase of 103.2% .

The industry ushers in a new era of scientific research and industrial transformation

　　Under the new consumption wave, my country's dietary supplement industry has ushered in a new era of scientific research and industrial transformation.

　　Products that help boost immunity continue to gain attention. As consumers become more aware of the importance of a healthy immune system, demand for products that claim to help boost immune function, such as vitamin C , vitamin D , elderberry, protein powder, and probiotics, has surged.

　　Probiotic products continue to be popular. In recent years, the impact of the microbiome on human health has received increasing attention. A number of major scientific programs have been launched internationally to support microbiome research, using ecology, multi-omics association, microbiome intervention and other means to cross-integrate microbiome and human health. The United States, Denmark, France and other countries have conducted research on intervening in the human microbiome through dietary strategies such as adjusting food intake and adding dietary fiber. The progress in the study of the human microbiome has provided a new perspective and development ideas for the dietary supplement industry, and more probiotic products have appeared on the market.

　　Snack-like development and diverse dosage forms. The new generation of consumers are more interested in products that have both health benefits and better taste, such as products rich in probiotics, protein-fortified snacks, and beverages that help enhance immunity. In terms of taste, the product has good palatability, moderate sweetness and sourness, and is not greasy. The snack-like taste is a factor that influences consumer purchases. The dosage forms of dietary nutritional supplements have become more diverse. Products such as soft candies, jellies, oral liquids, and solid beverages have good taste and are easy to carry, and are increasingly loved by the younger generation. At the same time, the market size of weight management meal replacements continues to expand, and new dosage forms such as milkshake solid beverages, jellies, soft candies, and drops have attracted much attention.

　　Personalized nutrition is developing rapidly. With the advancement of science and technology, supplements customized for individual needs based on genetic data, lifestyle and eating habits are becoming more and more popular. For dietary supplement companies, personalization means providing consumers with more targeted products and solutions, enabling them to choose the health products that best suit them and achieve their health goals. Brands that provide personalized nutrition are therefore more original and competitive. Currently, the US, Australia, China and Japan markets are gradually developing personalized nutrition customization services.

　　In recent years, plant-based dietary supplements have attracted much attention. With the rise of plant-based diets and the increasing awareness of environmental protection, consumers are actively looking for alternatives to traditional animal-based supplements. Plant-based supplements, whose main raw materials include plant protein, DHA algae oil, etc., and dosage forms include plant gum soft capsules, pectin gummies, etc., not only meet their consumer values, but also help consumers maintain their health.

　　With the upgrading of consumption structure and the change of consumer concepts, the functional product market is experiencing increasingly stringent tests. Keywords such as health, nutrition, personality, and convenience have become hot topics, and dietary supplements in sub-sectors such as oral beauty, weight management, sports nutrition, and probiotics are showing rapid growth. Even in the same functional category, there are different product formulas for different genders and age groups, and dietary nutritional supplements in sub-sectors are receiving more and more attention from the industry.

　　Technological innovation is changing the dietary supplement industry. Brand companies that focus on investing in technological innovation can often tap into consumer demand, incorporate innovative ingredients and the latest technologies into the product production process, such as nanoencapsulation, microencapsulation and biosynthesis, enrich product lines and effectively improve product quality, thereby improving market competitiveness.