China’s caviar is roe-mancing the world as sales go swimmingly, exporters reel in profits

By total caviar production, China accounts for more than half of global output, but the delicacy still lacks popularity among Chinese consumers

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A worker checks the quality of caviar at a Kaluga Queen production facility in China’s Zhejiang province. Photo: Simon Song

Published: 8:00am, 17 Jul 2024Updated: 11:26am, 17 Jul 2024

Chinese caviar is increasingly finding its way to dining tables worldwide due to improved quality and an efficient cold-chain delivery system, making the country the world’s biggest exporter of caviar despite US tariffs.

Data from the International Trade Centre (ITC) shows China exported 276 tonnes of caviar to the global market in 2023, up 3 per cent from a year prior and nearly twice as much as in 2019, when 140 tonnes were exported.

With a unit price of nearly US$300 per kilo, up 4 per cent year on year, Chinese caviar exports generated US$82.7 million in 2023, accounting for about 40 per cent of the global market share.

“At first, our caviar faced concerns from foreign customers due to past perceptions of affordability over quality in Chinese food products,” said Wang Bin, president of caviar juggernaut Hangzhou Qiandaohu Xunlong Sci-Tech, which sells the popular Kaluga Queen brand.

“However, with superior quality, competitive pricing, and exceptional customer service, Chinese caviar has been capturing a larger share of the global market in recent years.”

Chinese staff work in a caviar-processing facility owned by the world’s largest caviar producer, Hangzhou Qiandaohu Xunlong Sci-Tech, in 2018. Photo: Simon Song

By total production, China now accounts for more than 50 per cent of the world’s annual production, Wang said. Major buyers include the US and EU countries.