Why China is stockpiling a mountain of 700,000 tons of tomatoes
Chinese tomato exporters have a serious problem, they are producing millions of tons of fruit that they cannot sell leaving them with a massive stockpile.
China is sitting on an enormous surplus of tomato paste—an estimated 600,000 to 700,000 metric tons—after a sharp drop in exports to Italy and other European markets.
The shift comes amid ongoing allegations of forced labor in Xinjiang and concerns about misleading labeling on products sold as “100% Italian” despite being made with Chinese tomato concentrate.
Why Italian brands are turning away from China
According to Financial Times, tomato production in Xinjiang has surged in recent years. But exports are now falling fast, leaving China with what industry analysts describe as roughly six months’ worth of unsold inventory.
Data from Tomato News shows the decline clearly: China’s tomato paste exports dropped 9% year over year in the third quarter, while sales to Western Europe plunged 67%. Exports specifically to Italy fell even further—down 76%.
“This is an important victory,” said Francesco Mutti, CEO of Mutti, one of Italy’s most recognized tomato-product manufacturers.
Domestic market cannot pick up the slack
Industry experts say export struggles are forcing Chinese producers to cut prices.
“They are struggling to sell, which explains why they have to cut back,” said Martin Stilwell, president of Tomato News. “Otherwise they would merely be building inventory in China.”
Furthermore, the domestic Chinese market is not a viable option to offload the surplus. Tomatoes, which were introduced during colonial times and known among other names as “foreign aubergine” and “western red persimmon,” are not common in local cuisine.
How Xinjiang became a low-cost tomato hub
Xinjiang—home to the predominantly Muslim Uyghur minority—has become a major tomato-processing center for China. The region supplies low-cost tomato paste primarily for export, a strategy that has helped China become a dominant player in the global market.
Beijing denies any use of forced labor, calling the allegations “entirely a lie fabricated by anti-China forces.”
Italy’s turning point: when the scandal came to light
Chinese tomato paste quietly entered the Italian market for years, but the issue exploded publicly in 2021. That’s when Italy’s Carabinieri — the national police — raided a tomato-processing plant and seized tons of canned concentrate labeled as “100% Italian” despite containing Chinese ingredients.
The scandal intensified after a BBC documentary aired last year, revealing footage of Uyghur detainees harvesting tomatoes under coercive conditions. The report sparked outrage in Italy and put pressure on major retailers to demand that Italian processors cut ties with Chinese suppliers.
A small group, but big consequences
“If you imagine that Italy has 80 companies related to processing and transformation of tomatoes, three or four or five did these dirty tricks,” Mutti said.
Even so, industry analysts say the reputational damage pushed Italian brands to rely far more on domestically grown tomatoes—leaving China with a mountain of unsold product.
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