China Alcoholic Beverage insights

Ilya Ilyushin, director of the Russian Agricultural Export Development Center, stated that by mid-June, Russia's vodka exports to China reached 1,400 tons, with an export value of $2.1 million. According to Ilyushin, compared to the same period in 2024, vodka export value increased by 87%, and export volume grew by 57%. Ilyushin emphasized that Russia has enormous potential for vodka exports to China. Over the past five years, vodka export value has doubled, reaching nearly $200 million. Ilyushin noted that in 2025, exports of non-alcoholic beverages and pasta have also significantly increased. For instance, by mid-June, Russia supplied 820 tons of pasta to China, valued at over $670,000, with export value growing 0.6-fold year-on-year and export volume increasing 0.7-fold. Non-alcoholic beverage exports saw a 24% increase in value and a 15% increase in volume.

In the first five months of 2025, Russian companies imported beer from China worth $13.5 million, representing a 0.6-fold increase year-on-year. Data shows that only imports from the Taiwan region of China ($63.7 million), Myanmar ($28.1 million), and Hong Kong ($28.1 million) exceeded those of Russia. From January to May this year, China's total beer export volume reached $216 million, compared to $182.6 million in the same period last year.

On June 20, the 2025 Annual Conference of the Baijiu Technology Innovation Strategy Development Committee of the China Liquor Association was successfully held in Luzhou, Sichuan, with the theme of "Analyzing Tradition, Inheriting Brewing Craftsmanship." The conference was hosted by the China Liquor Association and organized by Luzhou Laojiao Co., Ltd. This annual conference not only traced and paid tribute to the traditional wisdom of baijiu production, but also hoped to guide baijiu professionals in using new knowledge and technologies to analyze traditional brewing techniques, innovating in inheritance and promoting industrial development in innovation. China Liquor Association Chairman Song Shuyu delivered a speech focusing on the strategic value of technological innovation and future work deployment (excerpt): I. Profoundly Understanding the Core Value of Committee Work and Technological Innovation Scientific research and technological innovation in baijiu are the core driving force for this millennium-old classic industry to continuously develop in inheritance. Looking back since the committee's establishment, especially relying on the "169 Plan," "158 Plan," "China Baijiu 3C Plan," and the committee's continuous efforts, we have created a glorious period of scientific research and innovation in the Chinese baijiu industry together with member units and research institutes. In key areas such as flavor chemistry, baijiu storage, brewing mechanisms, quality and safety improvement, microorganisms and microecology, numerous achievements have emerged, systematically analyzing and scientifically confirming the rationality and wisdom of traditional Chinese brewing techniques. This deepened our fundamental understanding of baijiu as a complex system of multiple flavor and active substances, and that its microecological complexity and stability are the core of brewing. These studies have provided solid support for the entire industry in equipment upgrades, innovation capabilities, and knowledge structure optimization, and have unprecedented raised the industry's emphasis on technological innovation, powerfully promoting the industry's significant progress in technology, efficiency, and quality in recent years. II. Clarifying the Mission and Direction of Future Innovation Committee (I) Adhering to Application-Oriented Approach and Promoting Result Implementation We have created brilliant research achievements, but we must recognize that many research efforts remain at the experimental and achievement level, with relatively weak promotion and application. In the future, during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, the committee's