In 2025, the import and export of Japanese sushi ingredients industry will present the characteristics of "stable global demand growth, regional supply chain reconstruction, and obvious price differentiation". The trade pattern of core categories (seafood main ingredients, seaweed/mustard/soy sauce and other auxiliary materials, processed products) is deeply bound to factors such as logistics, policies, and costs. The following will be discussed from two dimensions: global and Chinese, focusing on core categories, trade flows, prices, and driving factors, combined with key data to illustrate the current situation.
2. Accessories and seasonings (seaweed, mustard, soy sauce, sushi vinegar, ginger slices, etc.)
Seaweed: South Korea and Japan are traditional export powerhouses. Due to abnormal climate conditions, production will decrease in 2025, and the average import price will increase by about 23% year-on-year. Breakthroughs have been made in seaweed farming technology in Fujian and Shandong provinces of China, with a 12% increase in production and a decrease in import dependence to 9.3%. South Korea's import share has decreased from 67% in 2018 to 38% in 2025; The export growth rate of Chinese seaweed to Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand) exceeded 30%.
Mustard: The world's main imports are from Japan, China, and South Korea, with the United States (2491 shipments), Vietnam (2115 shipments), and Russia (556 shipments) being the top three importing countries. From June 2024 to May 2025, the global import of mustard from China increased by 7% year-on-year, but decreased by 29.2% year-on-year in May 2025, indicating significant short-term fluctuations.
Soy sauce/mirin/sushi vinegar: Japanese high-end soy sauce (such as turtle shell) still dominates the global high-end market, while China and Southeast Asia's mid to low end substitute production capacity is rapidly growing. In 2025, China's imports of Japanese seasonings will continue to grow, and the export growth rate of low sodium, organic and other healthy seasonings will reach 25%.
Sushi ginger slices: China is a major producer and exporter in the world, with Shandong, Henan, and Guizhou accounting for 75% of the country's ginger production. By 2025, the amount of ginger slices exported to Japan, the United States, and Southeast Asia will increase by 10% -15% year-on-year, and the proportion of small packaging (below 100g) exports will increase.
