orange juice

The supply of orange juice in China will continue to rely on imports over the next five years though its domestic citrus output is expected to top 12 million tons annually. Most citrus fruits are sold fresh on the Chinese market with only 5 percent processed. Orange juice sold on the Chinese market is mostly made from raw juice imported from the United States or Brazil. China is improving its citrus production industry but the gap between domestic producers and overseas counterparts still exists, especially in the processing and storage. The country now produces 10 million tons of citrus fruit annually with 200,000 tons for export. China imported 62,000 tons of citrus fruit last year and about 8,500 tons of orange juice from 1998 to 1999. The consumption of orange juice will increase with the living tempo speeding up, as well as that of sweet oranges, and its import will rise in the off season.