Why Xinjiang Is the Core of China’s Tomato Paste Exports

1. Start with the Registration Data: Xinjiang Ranked First Every Year

The first thing to look at is the basic ranking. From 2021 to 2025, Xinjiang-registered exporters ranked No. 1 every year in China’s tomato paste export data by exporter registration location.

Looking at the five-year total, Xinjiang-registered exporters shipped about 2.28 million tons of large-pack tomato paste, with a total export value of about US$2.12 billion. That was about 70.5% of China’s export value under this data scope.

This was not a one-year spike. Xinjiang’s share of export value was 70.4% in 2021, 71.0% in 2022, 70.6% in 2023, 72.6% in 2024 and 66.6% in 2025. In simple terms, Xinjiang accounted for more than two-thirds of China’s large-pack tomato paste export value for five consecutive years.

2. What Registration Location Actually Tells Us

Exporter registration location is not a pure origin map. Tianjin’s ranking, for example, does not necessarily mean that Tianjin is a tomato growing base. It may also reflect port access, sales offices, trading functions and export services.

This makes Xinjiang’s position even more meaningful. Even under a registration-location view, which may include both production-based exporters and trade-oriented exporters, Xinjiang still accounted for about 70.5% of export value.

The conclusion is clear: Xinjiang is not only an agricultural production area. It is also a major center for processing, exporting and supply-chain coordination.

3. Why Xinjiang Is Suitable for Tomato Paste Production

Processing tomatoes are different from fresh-market tomatoes. For tomato paste production, buyers and processors care about stable raw material supply, soluble solids, color, viscosity, processing yield, food safety control and cost efficiency.

Xinjiang has strong natural advantages for processing tomatoes. The region has abundant sunshine, large day-night temperature differences, a dry climate and suitable conditions for large-scale processing tomato production. These conditions help tomato fruit accumulate solids and color, while also supporting relatively stable quality during the processing season.

For tomato paste, this matters directly. Higher and more stable raw material quality can support better processing yield, stronger color performance and more efficient concentration. In large-scale production, a small difference in raw material quality can become a meaningful difference in output, cost and product consistency.

Xinjiang’s advantage is also industrial. Over many years, the region has developed a mature processing tomato supply chain, including seed selection, contract planting, field management, mechanical harvesting, short-distance transport, continuous processing, aseptic filling, warehousing and export coordination.

Bulk tomato paste export is not simply about selling tomato paste. It is about organizing a full seasonal supply chain. The exporter must connect farms, factories, quality control, packaging, logistics, documents and overseas buyers. Xinjiang’s long-term strength comes from this combined system: raw material base, processing capacity, supply-chain organization and export experience.

4. The Second Tier: Tianjin and Inner Mongolia

Tianjin and Inner Mongolia form the second tier. From 2021 to 2025, Tianjin-registered exporters shipped about 471,861 tons, with export value of about US$421.7 million. Inner Mongolia-registered exporters shipped about 358,738 tons, with export value of about US$336.7 million.

They are important registration locations, but the distance from Xinjiang is obvious. Xinjiang’s five-year export value was almost three times the combined value of Tianjin and Inner Mongolia.

This gap helps explain why Xinjiang should be viewed as the core of China’s large-pack tomato paste export structure, not only as one important region among many.

5. What This Means for RTM Tomato

RTM Tomato has been deeply involved in Xinjiang’s tomato paste industry since 2008, with 18 years of experience in tomato paste sourcing, production coordination and export supply.

This location matters. In an industry where Xinjiang has accounted for about 70.5% of China’s large-pack tomato paste export value over the past five years, being based in Xinjiang is not just a background detail. It means being close to the main raw material base, close to the processing system and close to the people and companies who understand the export season.

For global buyers, this can support more reliable communication on product availability, specification selection, market timing and long-term sourcing plans.

Conclusion

China Customs large-pack tomato paste export data from 2021 to 2025 shows a clear structure. Xinjiang was the No. 1 exporter registration location every year, with about 2.28 million tons of shipments and US$2.12 billion in export value over five years.

For global tomato paste buyers, Xinjiang should not be viewed only as a place name. It is the center of China’s processing tomato supply, large-scale tomato paste production and export organization.

For RTM Tomato, being rooted in Xinjiang since 2008 is an important part of its supplier identity. It connects RTM with the region that has consistently led China’s large-pack tomato paste exports, and it gives buyers a clearer reason to understand RTM’s long-term role in the tomato paste supply chain.