Kibun Foods Grows 15% in China Amid Import Ban: Thailand Capacity & Diversification Key

1. Product Mix: Core Items “Anchor” Sales, By-Products Become New Drivers

• Surimi crab sticks (core product): Still the backbone of sales, contributing ~70% of China’s revenue. Though down from the previous 90%+ share, this shift is intentional—it reflects Kibun’s proactive move toward diversification, not weakening demand.

• By-products (breakout stars): Sales of chikuwa, oden sets, and itatsuki kamaboko surged 300% YoY, now accounting for 30% of total sales. Their appeal lies in strong adaptability to Chinese consumption scenarios:

  • Oden sets align with Chinese consumers’ preference for hot pot ingredients, especially in cooler seasons.

  • Chikuwa’s chewy texture makes it a hit for convenience store snacks and home cooking (e.g., stir-fries, soups).

2. Channel Expansion: Offline Premium Penetration + Online Full-Coverage

Kibun has built a “dual-line breakthrough” channel network to reach more Chinese consumers:

• Offline: Officially entered Ole’—China’s high-end imported food supermarket. With dedicated displays in Ole’s 120+ stores nationwide, Kibun targets high-income groups in first- and second-tier cities, reinforcing its “premium aquatic processed food” positioning.

• Online: Launched official flagship stores on 5 major platforms, with tailored strategies for each:

  • Taobao/JD: Focus on large family-sized packs to meet stock-up needs.

  • Douyin E-commerce: Drive sales via cooking tutorial short videos and live streams (e.g., demonstrating how to use chikuwa in stir-fries).

  • Meituan Youxuan (community group-buy): Offer small trial packs to lower consumers’ trial thresholds.

    
    

    Result: E-commerce now contributes 45% of Kibun’s total sales in China—the fastest-growing channel.

3. Supply Chain: Thailand Factory Takes the Lead; Ban Lifting Needs Patience

• To bypass China’s import ban on Japanese aquatic products, Kibun shifted all China-bound supply to its Thailand factory. This facility adheres to the same production standards as Japan, ensuring stable product quality and supply.

• While China announced plans to lift the import ban in July 2025, normalized exports from Japan will take time: Follow-up procedures (e.g., import inspection, enterprise qualification re-verification) are expected to delay full resumption until 2026.

• Kibun is proactively preparing: It’s in close communication with Chinese authorities to ready application documents, aiming to quickly connect Japanese production capacity once the ban is officially lifted.

Kibun’s growth story in China serves as a valuable model for foreign food enterprises facing trade policy uncertainties. As Chinese consumers’ demand for high-quality aquatic processed foods continues to rise, the Japanese surimi giant’s journey in China is poised to enter an even more promising phase.