This update builds on our China tomato paste export data review and the earlier analysis of how China tomato paste export destinations shifted from 2021 to 2025. Here the focus is narrower: what the April 2026 customs data adds to the 2026 destination-country picture.
The product scope is tomato paste in containers weighing more than 5kg, which is more relevant to bulk and industrial-use tomato paste than retail-size tomato products. Export volume is converted from kilograms to metric tons, and export value is based on China Customs export value in US dollars.
Destination data often moves differently from the total monthly export line. A country can jump in ranking because of contract timing, inventory needs, shipment schedules, or port and logistics execution, even when the overall market is not changing dramatically.
Top April 2026 Export Destinations
Russia and Italy carried the most visible weight in April, while Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Poland, Yemen and the Philippines also stayed in the leading group.
What Changed in April?
April was more concentrated than the first quarter. The top 5 destination markets accounted for 41.6% of April export value, compared with 33.1% in Q1. The top 10 share moved from 51.7% in Q1 to 57.9% in April.
The main reason was not one market alone. Russia increased from 11.6% of Q1 export value to 17.1% in April, while Italy rose from 4.3% to 10.3%. Together, Russia and Italy accounted for a much larger share of April exports than they did across Q1.
That does not mean the buyer map became narrow. April still had export records for 76 destination markets, and January-April reached 100 markets. The safer reading is that April brought a heavier shipment month for a few large destinations inside a still broad destination structure.
April Share Change Compared with Q1
The chart shows the biggest percentage-point changes in destination share. Positive bars gained weight in April; negative bars were lighter than their Q1 share.
Italy Was the Clearest Ranking Move
Italy is the most obvious April change. In the 2025 full-year destination structure, Italy ranked No.8 by export value. In January-April 2026, it moved to No.2, and April alone also placed Italy at No.2.
This does not by itself prove a long-term reversal. Destination-country data can be lumpy because one month may include delayed shipments, larger contract execution or inventory rebuilding by a small number of buyers. But it does confirm that Italy remains a meaningful destination for China bulk tomato paste exports, even after its share declined over the 2021-2025 period.
Russia remained the anchor market. Its January-April export value reached US$19.15 million, equal to 13.1% of total export value in the period. Italy followed with US$8.63 million and a 5.9% share.
April 2026 Top Destination Table
Top 15 destination countries by April 2026 export value. Average unit value is calculated from export value divided by export volume.
| Rank | Destination country | Export volume | Export value | April share | Avg unit value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russia | 10,756 tons | US$6.51 million | 17.1% | US$605/ton |
| 2 | Italy | 6,888 tons | US$3.92 million | 10.3% | US$569/ton |
| 3 | Nigeria | 3,217 tons | US$1.96 million | 5.2% | US$610/ton |
| 4 | Saudi Arabia | 2,673 tons | US$1.88 million | 4.9% | US$702/ton |
| 5 | Poland | 2,617 tons | US$1.56 million | 4.1% | US$597/ton |
| 6 | Yemen | 1,961 tons | US$1.38 million | 3.6% | US$705/ton |
| 7 | Philippines | 2,001 tons | US$1.38 million | 3.6% | US$689/ton |
| 8 | South Korea | 1,716 tons | US$1.29 million | 3.4% | US$752/ton |
| 9 | Guinea | 1,829 tons | US$1.18 million | 3.1% | US$648/ton |
| 10 | Senegal | 1,374 tons | US$0.97 million | 2.6% | US$709/ton |
| 11 | Indonesia | 1,298 tons | US$0.96 million | 2.5% | US$740/ton |
| 12 | Brazil | 1,353 tons | US$0.90 million | 2.4% | US$668/ton |
| 13 | Ghana | 1,484 tons | US$0.89 million | 2.3% | US$598/ton |
| 14 | Oman | 1,232 tons | US$0.85 million | 2.2% | US$690/ton |
| 15 | Japan | 969 tons | US$0.83 million | 2.2% | US$854/ton |
Some Q1-Heavy Markets Pulled Back in April
The United Arab Emirates was a good example of a Q1-heavy market. It accounted for 3.8% of Q1 export value, but China Customs recorded no bulk tomato paste exports to the UAE in April 2026. Ghana also moved from 6.0% in Q1 to 2.3% in April, although it still ranked No.4 in January-April 2026.
This is why a monthly destination update should not be read as a final ranking for the whole year. For buyers, the more useful point is to watch which destinations are consistently present and which markets appear in heavier shipment waves.
Regional Destination Structure
April was more balanced across Europe, Eurasia/CIS, Africa and Asia excluding the Middle East, while the January-April structure still leaned toward Asia and Africa.
January-April 2026 Destination Ranking
For January-April 2026, China exported 220,095 tons of bulk tomato paste with a customs export value of US$146.63 million. The top 10 destination markets represented 51.9% of export value, almost unchanged from the Q1 top 10 share of 51.7%.
The table below uses the 2025 full-year share only as a reference point, not as a same-period comparison. It helps show whether the first four months of 2026 are running heavier or lighter than last year's destination structure.
| Rank | Destination country | Jan-Apr volume | Jan-Apr value | Jan-Apr 2026 share | 2025 full-year share | Share change | Avg unit value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russia | 31,817 tons | US$19.15 million | 13.1% | 12.6% | +0.5 pp | US$602/ton |
| 2 | Italy | 13,726 tons | US$8.63 million | 5.9% | 3.6% | +2.3 pp | US$629/ton |
| 3 | Saudi Arabia | 11,705 tons | US$8.30 million | 5.7% | 6.9% | -1.3 pp | US$709/ton |
| 4 | Ghana | 12,205 tons | US$7.44 million | 5.1% | 4.5% | +0.6 pp | US$610/ton |
| 5 | Philippines | 9,963 tons | US$6.97 million | 4.8% | 6.7% | -1.9 pp | US$700/ton |
| 6 | Nigeria | 10,005 tons | US$6.35 million | 4.3% | 3.7% | +0.6 pp | US$635/ton |
| 7 | South Korea | 6,740 tons | US$5.11 million | 3.5% | 2.9% | +0.5 pp | US$759/ton |
| 8 | Indonesia | 6,695 tons | US$5.08 million | 3.5% | 1.9% | +1.6 pp | US$759/ton |
| 9 | Cameroon | 7,141 tons | US$4.53 million | 3.1% | 1.9% | +1.2 pp | US$634/ton |
| 10 | Japan | 5,234 tons | US$4.47 million | 3.1% | 3.4% | -0.3 pp | US$855/ton |
| 11 | Oman | 6,094 tons | US$4.35 million | 3.0% | 4.0% | -1.0 pp | US$714/ton |
| 12 | Poland | 7,035 tons | US$4.19 million | 2.9% | 2.8% | +0.1 pp | US$596/ton |
| 13 | United Arab Emirates | 5,914 tons | US$4.11 million | 2.8% | 4.9% | -2.1 pp | US$694/ton |
| 14 | Thailand | 5,609 tons | US$3.86 million | 2.6% | 2.7% | -0.1 pp | US$688/ton |
| 15 | Kazakhstan | 5,615 tons | US$3.38 million | 2.3% | 2.4% | -0.0 pp | US$602/ton |
| 16 | Malaysia | 4,086 tons | US$3.28 million | 2.2% | 1.9% | +0.3 pp | US$802/ton |
| 17 | South Africa | 4,609 tons | US$3.19 million | 2.2% | 1.9% | +0.3 pp | US$692/ton |
| 18 | Brazil | 4,860 tons | US$3.11 million | 2.1% | 1.3% | +0.8 pp | US$641/ton |
| 19 | Senegal | 4,079 tons | US$2.75 million | 1.9% | 1.4% | +0.4 pp | US$675/ton |
| 20 | Cote d'Ivoire | 4,218 tons | US$2.72 million | 1.9% | 1.8% | +0.1 pp | US$645/ton |
Buyer Takeaway
For importers, distributors and food manufacturers, the April destination data points to an active but uneven buyer map. Russia remained the biggest destination, Italy had a strong April, and the long tail of markets remained wide enough to keep export requirements varied.
That matters for sourcing. Buyers should compare more than the monthly average customs unit value. Real order decisions still depend on Brix level, color value, processing type, packaging format, destination market, shipment schedule, contract terms and supplier reliability. For supply-side context, see why Xinjiang is central to China tomato paste exports.
Average customs values are useful for market reading, but they are not product quotations. Buyers planning forward procurement should use the data as a direction signal, then confirm product specification, packing plan, documentation and shipment timing with the supplier.
Contact RTM for bulk tomato paste sourcingPrice Interpretation Note
The average export unit value in this article is calculated from China Customs export value divided by export volume. It is used for market trend analysis only and does not represent RTM Tomato's actual quotation, nor the transaction price of any specific supplier, product or contract. Actual tomato paste prices may vary by Brix level, processing type, packaging format, destination market, shipment timing, contract terms and product specification.
Data source: China Customs bulk tomato paste export data from January to April 2026, with 2025 full-year destination-country values from the previous customs dataset used in this export data series. Product scope: tomato paste in containers weighing more than 5kg. Export volume refers to the first quantity in kilograms, converted into metric tons. Export value refers to customs export value in US dollars. Average export unit value is calculated as export value divided by export volume.