BARCELONA, Spain, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Spain's olive oil sector is stepping up efforts to expand its presence in China, as producers and industry groups increasingly view China as one of most promising long-term growth markets for olive oil.
Olive Oils from Spain, the brand representing the Spanish olive oil sector, recently launched a new two-year promotional campaign in China to increase awareness of extra virgin olive oil and encouraging its wider adoption among Chinese consumers.
The campaign focuses on eight major Chinese cities -- Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Chengdu, Hangzhou and Tianjin -- through activities in more than 200 supermarkets and 130 restaurants, alongside online promotions on Chinese social media platforms.
In addition, Olive Oils from Spain participated in SIAL Shanghai, one of Asia's largest food and beverage exhibitions held from May 18-20, as part of its efforts to strengthen its presence in the Chinese market.
"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," she said.
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 experiencing a slowdown in recent years amid high global olive oil prices and reduced harvests caused by drought, Spanish olive oil exports to China have recently shown signs of recovery.
Exports to China increased by 14,000 tonnes year-on-year in March and April, putting sales on track to recover toward the record level of 46,000 tonnes reached in 2022.
Spain is the world's largest producer of olive oil, accounting for around 40 percent of global output in recent years, according to industry data. ■