China's growing demand for fresh food imported from Europe will require an investment in cold supply chains throughout the main route.
There is an expected 17% increase in demand for imported meat, dairy, fruit and vegetables to China in 2015-2025.
The Yu'Xin'Ou railway which connects Chongqing to Rotterdam by rail is a new route for European exporters as it reduces the transport time of their produce by over 30 days. However movements in the cold chain are needed in order to successfully transport higher volumes of fresh food in this way.
Increasing consumption in China is being driven by continued economic growth and urbanisation. China's economy is expected to grow by 6-7% annually, pushing a further 38 million households into the upper middle class. Fresh or perishable food is increasingly reaching Chinese consumers through modern distribution channels, including supermarkets, hypermarkets and online. Food safety is one of the driving forces pushing shoppers away from traditional wet markets and it is expected to remain one of the biggest concerns for the Chinese population.
Over the past 5 years, storage capacity for fresh food has grown from 12 million cubic metres in 2007 to 100 million cubic metres in 2015.
