candy

China's annual candy output has exceeded 1 million tons for a consecutive five years. Most Chinese candy manufacturers are located in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong and Fujian. China now has over 2,000 candy manufacturers, 230 of which have witnessed their annual sales volume exceed 5 million yuan (617,000 US dollars). In the last five years, China's candy market has been growing at an annual rate between 8 to 12 percent, almost 6 percentage points higher than that of the world. In 2004, China's candy output increased 12.5 percent year on year. China now exports candy to many countries including the United States, Britain, Germany, Australia, South Africa, Nigeria, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia, said Wang. In 2003, China exported 61,300 tons of candy, earning 108 million US dollars. China is now the world's second largest candy market after the United States, and therefore is drawing great attention from international candy giants, Wang said, calling for timely structural adjustment and product upgrade of domestic enterprises.