China's cold-chain logistics sector saw steady expansion in 2024, driven by the continuous release of consumer demand, industrial data showed Monday.
China's total demand for cold-chain logistics reached over 365 million tons in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 4.3 percent, according to the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP).
The annual total revenue of cold chain logistics in 2024 logged 536.1 billion yuan (about 73.19 billion U.S. dollars), a year-on-year increase of 3.7 percent, according to the CFLP.
The sector was in a volatile development trend of moving forward under pressure, and was gradually stabilizing and recovering, according to a CFLP official.
"The diverse demands of consumers for fresh products and their need for immediate consumption have driven the development of the fresh cold-chain sector. Additionally, as consumers place greater emphasis on food safety, large-scale catering delivery has also seen significant growth," said Qin Yuming, secretary-general of the Cold Chain Logistics Committee of the CFLP.
Since the third quarter of 2024, driven by the catering industry and fresh food e-commerce, the overall growth rate of cold-chain logistics has rebounded. In 2024, the annual catering revenue was over 5.57 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 5.3 percent, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
In addition, the sector also showcased a clear green transformation trend. In 2024, the sales volume of new energy refrigerated trucks reached 21,368 units, a year-on-year increase of 350.8 percent; and the penetration rate of new energy refrigerated trucks was 33.9 percent, an increase of 25.2 percentage points year on year.
China's cold-chain logistics sector sees steady growth in 2024
