China Cold Chain Logistics Market to Hit 585 Billion Yuan

China’s cold chain logistics market is projected to surpass 585 billion yuan (approximately $81 billion) in 2026, according to the China Cold Chain Logistics Development Report (2026) released Wednesday by the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing (CFLP). The forecast underscores the rapid expansion of temperature-controlled logistics driven by surging demand for fresh food, pharmaceuticals, and instant retail services.

Market Growth in Global Context

The CFLP report, covered by CCTV News, reveals that the global cold chain logistics services market reached approximately 2.75 trillion yuan in 2025, growing 12.11% year-on-year. The sector is projected to maintain a compound annual growth rate of approximately 13.8% over the next decade, with the Asia-Pacific region expected to be the largest and fastest-growing market.

China’s cold chain logistics revenue reached 556.71 billion yuan in 2025, up 3.84% year-on-year, while total cold chain demand hit 381 million tons, a 4.50% increase from the previous year, according to data from Huajing Industry Research.

Infrastructure Expansion and Modernization

China’s cold chain infrastructure has expanded significantly. As of 2025, the country’s cold storage capacity reached 2.67 billion cubic meters, up 5.53% year-on-year, while the refrigerated truck fleet grew to 585,000 vehicles. Notably, sales of new energy refrigerated trucks surged 72.08% year-on-year to 36,769 units, achieving a penetration rate of 44.86%, signaling a strong shift toward green logistics.

Emerging Business Models Driving Growth

The report identifies several maturing cold chain models reshaping the industry. “Central kitchen + cold chain” models are integrating food preparation and distribution, “pharmaceutical + cold chain” logistics are supporting temperature-sensitive drug and vaccine delivery, and “instant retail + cold chain” is enabling hour-level and minute-level fresh goods delivery.

Ma Zengrong, Vice President and Secretary-General of the CFLP, said: “Cold chain has broken through the boundaries of single logistics services, presenting characteristics of cross-industry, cross-field, and cross-border integrated development. Through upstream-downstream coordination and internal-external resource sharing, we promote efficient flow of commerce, logistics, information, and capital flows, building a complementary, open, and symbiotic global cold chain ecosystem.”

Cross-Border Cold Chain Expansion

China’s cross-border cold chain ecosystem is accelerating. In the first four months of 2026, fresh agricultural product import and export reached approximately 323.891 billion yuan, up 7.5% year-on-year, as Yicai reported. Cross-border e-commerce import platform sales grew 4.3% during the same period, with Chinese logistics companies shifting from product exports to comprehensive “technology, model, and ecosystem” overseas expansion.

Structural Challenges Amid Growth

Despite robust expansion, the sector faces structural challenges. The national cold storage average vacancy rate reached 30% in 2024, up 7 percentage points year-on-year, according to the CFLP’s 2025 report. Most cities experienced declining cold storage rental prices due to oversupply, creating a situation where “total oversupply coexists with structural shortage” — some regions and segments face capacity shortages while others have excess capacity.

Geographic concentration remains pronounced, with 68% of key cold chain enterprises located in eastern China, 29% in central and western regions, and just 3% in the northeast. Leading companies including SF Express, JD Logistics, and Rongqing Logistics dominate national coverage.

Policy Support and Consumption Upgrade

The sector is benefiting from multiple supportive policies, including the “Two New” policies promoting green transformation, the Belt and Road Initiative, and the implementation of RCEP. The “New Quality Productive Forces” policy concept is empowering technological innovation across supply chains.

Consumption upgrade trends are a major demand driver. China’s fresh flower retail market reached 220 billion yuan in 2024, with online channels contributing 120 billion yuan. Per capita flower consumption of approximately 10 stems per year, compared to over 60 stems in comparable-income countries, signals substantial growth potential. McKinsey predicts that more than 66% of China’s personal consumption growth by 2030 will come from lower-tier county-level markets.

Outlook

As China enters the “15th Five-Year Plan” period (2026-2030), global supply chains are undergoing deep restructuring. The CFLP report suggests that the convergence of policy support, technological innovation, and consumption upgrades positions China’s cold chain logistics sector for sustained growth. Key areas to watch include market consolidation to address the 30% vacancy rate, further adoption of new energy refrigerated vehicles, and the expansion of cross-border cold chain networks through RCEP and Belt and Road partnerships.

Reporting by Wang Shantao for CCTV News