AS Spain’s olive oil sector intensifies its push into the Chinese market, Shenzhen has become a key battleground in the European country’s latest two-year promotional campaign aimed at making extra virgin olive oil a household staple across China.

The campaign, led by the industry brand Olive Oils from Spain, will target eight major Chinese cities — including Shenzhen, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Chengdu, Hangzhou, and Tianjin – through in-store activations at over 200 supermarkets, partnerships with more than 130 restaurants, and a synchronized push on Chinese social media platforms.

Shenzhen, known for its young, health-conscious, and increasingly affluent population, is viewed by industry leaders as a particularly promising launchpad for olive oil adoption.

“China is one of the markets with the greatest growth potential,” Teresa Perez, manager of the Spanish Olive Oil Interprofessional Organization, told Xinhua. “It is a flourishing market where consumers are increasingly concerned about health and nutrition, creating important opportunities to further introduce olive oil to Chinese households.”

According to the organization, China is currently Spain’s sixth-largest olive oil export market globally and the second-largest outside Europe, surpassing traditional importers such as Japan and Australia.

After a slowdown in recent years caused by high global olive oil prices and drought‑reduced harvests, Spanish olive oil exports to China have recently shown signs of recovery.

Exports to China increased by 14,000 tons year on year in March and April, putting sales on track to recover toward the record level of 46,000 tons reached in 2022.

Spain is the world’s largest producer of olive oil, accounting for around 40% of global output in recent years, according to industry data.

(Xinhua)