China's Flower Import Market Starts Steadily in 2025

Recently, according to the statistical data of the General Administration of Customs compiled by the Flower Import and Export Branch of the China Chamber of Commerce of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal By - Products Importers and Exporters, from January to February 2025, the total flower import value in China reached 27.0301 million US dollars, a year - on - year increase of 2%, achieving a stable start. Behind these figures are the structural adjustments and diversified development of China's flower import market, which also indicates new opportunities and challenges for the industry.

The import of flower bulbs has become the main driving force for the growth of flower imports. From January to February, the domestic import value of flower bulbs reached as high as 11.7193 million US dollars, a year - on - year increase of 44.6%. The Netherlands dominates China's flower bulb supply. Its import value reached 11.3623 million US dollars, a year - on - year increase of 42.8%, accounting for a high proportion of 97%. This fully demonstrates its strong competitiveness in the global flower bulb field and China's high dependence on its high - quality flower bulb products. It is worth noting that the import value of flower bulbs from Chile was 201,000 US dollars, a year - on - year increase of 103.7%. Although its share is only 1.7%, it has great growth potential and is expected to play a more important role in China's flower bulb market in the future.

The fresh - cut flower market has shown a fluctuating and adjusting trend. From January to February, the import value of fresh - cut flowers in China was 8.8959 million US dollars, a year - on - year decrease of 11.2%. The Netherlands, a traditional major supplier, had an import value of 2.6716 million US dollars, a year - on - year decrease of 15.3%, accounting for 30%. However, emerging suppliers such as Thailand, Ecuador, and Colombia performed remarkably well. Their import values were 2.1316 million US dollars, 938,000 US dollars, and 916,000 US dollars respectively, accounting for 24%, 10.5%, and 10.3%. Among them, the import values of Ecuador and Colombia increased by 12.8% and 11.2% year - on - year respectively, and their competitiveness in the domestic fresh - cut flower market is gradually increasing. This diversified supply pattern not only enriches the varieties of fresh - cut flowers in China's market but also provides consumers with more choices.

The import of potted plants and seedlings faces certain challenges. The import value of potted plants was 3.3632 million US dollars, a year - on - year decrease of 25%; the import value of seedlings was 1.9884 million US dollars, a year - on - year decrease of 20.1%. Japan, as the main supplier of potted plants and seedlings, had import values of 2.4655 million US dollars and 742,000 US dollars respectively, a year - on - year decrease of 26.8% and 4%, accounting for 73.3% and 37.3%. However, the shares of countries such as Colombia and Thailand in seedling imports have increased. Colombia's import value was 328,700 US dollars, a year - on - year increase of 26.7%, accounting for 16.5%; Thailand's import value was 47,000 US dollars, a year - on - year increase of 53326.1%, accounting for 2.4%. This indicates that China's flower market is undergoing a structural adjustment in the fields of potted plants and seedlings, and the market's supply demands for different countries and regions are changing.

In niche categories such as dried - cut flowers and dried - cut branches and leaves, the market has shown a good growth trend. The import value of dried - cut flowers was 311,100 US dollars, a year - on - year increase of 20.2%; the import value of dried - cut branches and leaves was 173,100 US dollars, a year - on - year increase of 22.5%. Brazil and Ecuador stood out in the supply of dried - cut flowers, while Turkey and India played important roles in the supply of dried - cut branches and leaves. This reflects that the demand for niche categories in China's flower market is gradually being released, and the market share of emerging suppliers is constantly expanding.

Looking at the overall import sources, the Netherlands ranked first among China's flower import source countries with an import value of 14.4757 million US dollars, a year - on - year increase of 21.1%, accounting for as high as 53.6%. Countries such as Japan, Thailand, Colombia, and Ecuador followed closely behind, showing their respective advantages in different flower categories and jointly promoting the diversified development of China's flower import market.

Although there are bright spots in the current flower import market, it also faces challenges. With consumers' increasing demands for flower quality and varieties and the increasing uncertainty of the international trade environment, domestic flower enterprises need to find a balance between opportunities and challenges. On the one hand, they should strengthen cooperation with traditional suppliers such as the Netherlands to ensure the stable supply of high - quality flower products. On the other hand, they should actively expand trade with emerging suppliers to enrich product varieties and meet the diversified market demands. At the same time, enterprises should also pay close attention to market dynamics, optimize product structures, and enhance their competitiveness.

In this industry context, the IFEX China- Kunming International Flowers and Plants Expo (shorted as IFEX China) is of great significance. As an important event in the flower industry, IFEX China  brings together high - quality flower enterprises, cutting - edge flower cultivation technologies, and innovative flower products. Here, industry insiders can communicate face - to - face with global flower suppliers, establish broader cooperative relationships, understand the latest industry trends, and grasp the market development direction. They can also admire various rare flowers and gain creative inspiration. Whether you are a flower cultivation enterprise, a distributor, a scientific researcher in the flower industry, or a flower art enthusiast, you can gain a lot from the IFEX China - Kunming International Flowers and Plants Expo.

September 19-21, 2025, Kunming, China, we sincerely invite all flower industry insiders to actively participate in the IFEX China- Kunming International Flowers and Plants Expo!

For more information about visiting or exhibiting, please contact [email protected], +86-10-5933 9349.