Why Southeast Asia Matters for Bulk Tomato Paste Buyers
This article focuses on Southeast Asian destination markets in China's bulk tomato paste export data. The product scope is tomato paste in containers weighing more than 5kg. For the wider baseline, see our China tomato paste export data review and the broader China tomato paste export destinations analysis.
The Southeast Asia scope here is a narrower destination-country filter, not the broader Asia excluding Middle East group. It does not include Japan, South Korea, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Hong Kong or other Asian markets outside Southeast Asia.
The region deserves its own article because it behaves differently from Africa and the Middle East. Southeast Asia is not a broad long-tail destination group. It is a concentrated five-market cluster led by the Philippines, with Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam forming the practical sourcing and planning base.
Southeast Asia Volume and Share, 2021-2025
Full-year volume peaked in 2023, corrected in 2024, and recovered by 4.8% in 2025. Jan-Apr 2026 is shown separately because it is year-to-date data only.
Annual Volume, Value and Price Movement
From 2021 to 2025, China exported approximately 462,173 tons of bulk tomato paste to Southeast Asian destinations. Volume increased from 77,791 tons in 2021 to 93,336 tons in 2025, a 20.0% increase. Compared with the 2023 high of 106,494 tons, however, 2025 volume was still 12.4% lower.
The price cycle is the other important signal. Average export unit value rose from US$767/ton in 2021 to US$1,160/ton in 2023, then moved down to US$717/ton in 2025. That was a 38.1% drop from the 2023 peak, broadly consistent with the price correction discussed in RTM's Africa and Middle East regional export articles.
| Period | Southeast Asia volume | Export value | Avg export unit value | Share of China volume | Distinct destination countries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 77,791 tons | US$59.7 million | US$767/ton | 15.2% | 6 |
| 2022 | 95,514 tons | US$86.3 million | US$903/ton | 14.4% | 7 |
| 2023 | 106,494 tons | US$123.5 million | US$1,160/ton | 14.6% | 6 |
| 2024 | 89,038 tons | US$98.3 million | US$1,103/ton | 13.3% | 8 |
| 2025 | 93,336 tons | US$67.0 million | US$717/ton | 13.9% | 9 |
| Jan-Apr 2026 | 29,816 tons | US$21.8 million | US$730/ton | 13.5% | 6 |
2025 Country Mix: A Five-Market Cluster
The Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam represented almost all Southeast Asia volume in full-year 2025.
Philippines Leads, But 2026 Looks More Balanced
The Philippines is the anchor market. It received 43,995 tons in 2025, or 47.1% of regional volume. Across 2021-2025, the Philippines accounted for 46.1% of Southeast Asia volume.
The Jan-Apr 2026 country mix was still led by the Philippines, but it was less dependent on one destination. The Philippines' share moved to 33.4%, while Indonesia recorded 6,695 tons and ranked second. Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam also remained active, which suggests that buyers should monitor the five-market group rather than one country alone.
| Destination country | 2021-2025 cumulative volume | 2021-2025 regional share | 2025 volume | 2025 regional share | Jan-Apr 2026 volume | Jan-Apr 2026 regional share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philippines | 213,197 tons | 46.1% | 43,995 tons | 47.1% | 9,963 tons | 33.4% |
| Thailand | 100,663 tons | 21.8% | 18,105 tons | 19.4% | 5,609 tons | 18.8% |
| Indonesia | 64,578 tons | 14.0% | 11,759 tons | 12.6% | 6,695 tons | 22.5% |
| Malaysia | 39,070 tons | 8.5% | 10,098 tons | 10.8% | 4,086 tons | 13.7% |
| Vietnam | 43,997 tons | 9.5% | 9,168 tons | 9.8% | 3,452 tons | 11.6% |
| Cambodia | 108 tons | 0.0% | 107 tons | 0.1% | 0 tons | 0.0% |
| Myanmar | 500 tons | 0.1% | 59 tons | 0.1% | 0 tons | 0.0% |
| Singapore | 58 tons | 0.0% | 43 tons | 0.0% | 11 tons | 0.0% |
| Brunei | 3 tons | 0.0% | 2 tons | 0.0% | 0 tons | 0.0% |
Jan-Apr 2026 Monthly Rhythm
The first four months showed steady movement within a relatively narrow band. January and March were stronger; February and April were lighter but still meaningful.
What the First Four Months of 2026 Suggest
Jan-Apr 2026 volume reached 29,816 tons, representing 13.5% of China's total bulk tomato paste export volume in the period. The monthly pattern was not a single shipment spike: January recorded 8,972 tons, February 6,313 tons, March 8,279 tons and April 6,252 tons.
This matters for buyers because Southeast Asia looks more like a recurring regional demand base than an opportunistic long-tail market. The trade data cannot identify final end use. Still, the concentration around the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam points to markets where import planning, repacking, food manufacturing or distribution programs may repeat across the year.
| Month | Southeast Asia volume | Export value | Avg export unit value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01 | 8,972 tons | US$6.52 million | US$727/ton |
| 2026-02 | 6,313 tons | US$4.60 million | US$728/ton |
| 2026-03 | 8,279 tons | US$6.12 million | US$739/ton |
| 2026-04 | 6,252 tons | US$4.52 million | US$723/ton |
Sourcing Bulk Tomato Paste for Southeast Asia: Buyer Takeaway
For buyers sourcing bulk tomato paste for Southeast Asian markets, what matters most is not total regional volume alone. The three practical questions are strategic, pricing-related and operational: which markets to plan around, how to read average unit value, and how to confirm product specification.
- Treat Southeast Asia as a five-market planning cluster. The Philippines is still the largest destination, but Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam are large enough to affect shipment planning and sales forecasts.
- Use average export unit value as a directional benchmark only. Current pricing for a specific order still depends on Brix level, Hot Break or Cold Break process type, packaging format, shipment timing, order volume and destination requirements.
- For recurring Southeast Asia programs, confirm product specification early. For reference on available specifications, buyers can review RTM's tomato paste product page and the bulk tomato paste Brix and packaging guide.
For supply-side context, see why Xinjiang is central to China tomato paste exports. For buyers comparing routes and lead time, our China tomato paste transport modes article may also be useful.
Contact RTM for bulk tomato paste sourcing to Southeast AsiaPrice 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. Product scope: tomato paste in containers weighing more than 5kg. Southeast Asia scope follows destination records used in this analysis, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia and Brunei where records are available. 2021-2025 figures are full-year data from the historical destination-country dataset. 2026 figures cover January to April only, based on the latest downloaded destination-country data. 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.