Weekly Trade Information-176

From Mediterranean Table Staple to a Luxury Anti-Aging Star: The Rise of Hydroxytyrosol

Olea europaea L. (common olive) has a cultivation history of thousands of years along the Mediterranean coast, with its fruits boasting an oil content as high as 40.07%. The extracted olive oil is the cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet, hailed as “liquid gold” and the “queen of vegetable oils”. Among olive polyphenols, hydroxytyrosol is the primary component, accounting for 60-80% of the total content. It is widely recognized as one of the most potent natural antioxidants discovered to date, exhibiting outstanding anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antioxidant properties.
Hydroxytyrosol boasts an exceptionally high ORAC value of up to 68,500 µmol TE/g, far surpassing that of other well-known antioxidants, even several times higher than grape seed extract (GSE)—a highly efficient antioxidant. This demonstrates hydroxytyrosol’s unparalleled and superior ability to scavenge free radicals and resist oxidative damage.
(Source: FDL Food Daily)

This Week’s Focus in China’s Food Additives Sector: Standards & Market Applications

China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment has publicly solicited opinions on new food additive varieties such as tea polyphenols, to promote their compliant use. In the market, the substitution application of natural sweeteners (e.g., erythritol, mogroside) in beverages and snacks keeps growing. Meanwhile, innovative solutions of compound emulsifiers and thickeners for plant-based products and ready-to-cook meals have attracted wide attention.
(Source: Official Website of China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment, This Week’s News from Food Partner Network)

Price Trends

Milk Thistle Extract 80UV: The current price remains relatively stable.
Coenzyme Q10: The price trend is stable.
Niacinamide: Market demand is weak, with the price trend staying stable.
Creatine Monohydrate: The price trend is relatively stable, and no significant changes are expected before the New Year.
Agar: The market trend is stable.
Plant Extracts: Prices of proportional products are extremely stable.
VE 50%: Factories have started to raise prices.
Folic Acid: The price trend is on the rise.
(Source: Email)

Global Shipping Overview This Week

The Southeast Asian market has stabilized overall with partial easing; the India-Pakistan route’s pre-New Year price uptrend continues; Europe and the Mediterranean are operating at a high level, disrupted by strikes; Central and South America are weak in the short term, awaiting negotiations at the end of the month.

Southeast Asia: Thailand and Vietnam are trending stable, while Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia are undergoing structural adjustments.

India-Pakistan: West India is leading the price gains, with low-priced shipping capacity being absorbed rapidly.

Europe & Mediterranean: The Mediterranean market outperforms Europe, with coexisting risks of shipping capacity shortages and port disruptions.

Central & South America: Freight rates are under pressure due to insufficient cargo volume.
(Source: Ruscon)
 

Launch of “Land-Sea International Station” Facilitates Group Export of Quality Goods via the Western Land-Sea Corridor

On December 18, the vessel Xin Shanghai docked at Yangshan Port in Shanghai, carrying fruits such as avocados, blueberries, and grapes imported from Peru. According to statistics from Shanghai Customs, the two-way "Chancay–Shanghai" maritime shipping route has achieved a total import and export cargo value of 5.57 billion yuan and a cargo volume of 205,000 tons in the year since its launch, effectively boosting economic and trade exchanges between China and Latin America.
Data from the Ministry of Transport indicates that the foreign trade container throughput of ports is expected to grow by approximately 9.6% in 2025. Analysts believe that with the application of new technologies and the improvement of customs clearance efficiency, the high-quality development of ports is continuously injecting new vitality into foreign trade.
The enrichment and optimization of shipping routes is a tangible manifestation of the high-quality development of ports nationwide.To expand the shipping network, recently, under the supervision of Huangdao Customs, a subsidiary of Qingdao Customs, the international trade route "Qingdao–Aqaba, Jordan" was successfully launched at the Qianwan Port Area of Qingdao Port, Shandong Port. This route mainly transports mechanical and electrical products, textiles, and other goods. The opening of the new route will further improve Qingdao Port’s shipping network covering countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, significantly strengthening trade ties between the Qingdao port and regions in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
(Source: Shipping Information Network)