Under the wave of globalization of the "beauty economy", China's cosmetics trade is undergoing profound structural changes. According to data from the first quarter of 2025, the total import and export volume of cosmetics products in China reached 5.6 billion US dollars, with a slight increase of only 1.6% year-on-year. However, the import and export sectors showed a distinct differentiation trend of "import stabilization and adjustment, export acceleration and breakthrough". From high-end skincare products in France to popular cosmetics in Indonesia, from local brands going global to exporting raw materials and technology, China is steadily moving from a global cosmetics consumer power to a trading powerhouse.

1、 Import Market: Opportunities and Variables in the Reshaping of the Landscape

The Chinese cosmetics import market has long been dominated by Europe, America, Japan, and South Korea, but the structural changes since 2025 reveal new trends. According to the first quarter data, France, Japan, South Korea, the United States, and the United Kingdom still account for 80.2% of the total imports, with France ranking first with an import value of 1.15 billion US dollars, achieving a stable growth of 2.6% after three consecutive years of decline. This rebound is due to the continued deep cultivation of top brands such as L'Oreal and Lanc ô me in the Chinese high-end market, and their customized skincare series precisely meet the efficacy needs of domestic consumers.

At the same time, the performance of traditional supplier countries is showing differentiation. Japan's exports to China continue to decline, with a year-on-year decrease of 12.1% in the first quarter, continuing the three-year slump; The performance of the US market has been even more sluggish, with a decline of 20.5%, and the export value is only about 60% of the same period in 2021. In contrast, ASEAN countries are becoming a new force in the import market - Thailand is among the top ten import source countries for the first time. In the first quarter, exports to China surged by 34.2% year on year. Its brand MISTINE's "Little Yellow Hat" sunscreen has long led China's sunscreen market. powder blusher, lipstick and other cosmetics products have also continued to sell well, confirming the rising trend of ASEAN's beauty industry.

The adjustment of product structure is also worth paying attention to. Beauty and skin care products still occupy the leading position in import, but perfume category surpassed body care products as the second largest import category for the first time, and hair care products achieved a reverse growth rate of 22.9%. In the segmented fields, nail polish cosmetics and shaving preparations performed well, achieving year-on-year growth of 128.9% and 70.3% respectively. Among them, Germany's export growth rate of nail polish cosmetics reached 274.4%, and the export of shaving preparations from the United States to China surged by 1765.6%, reflecting the rapid release of domestic demand for segmented beauty products.

2、 Export Market: A Leap from Scale Expansion to Value Upgrading

The impressive performance of China's cosmetics exports has become the core engine of trade growth. In 2024, China's export of cosmetics and personal care products reached 51.2 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 11.9%; In the first quarter of 2025, the export value further increased to 1.69 billion US dollars, with a year-on-year growth rate climbing to 14.1%. This growth is not only reflected in data, but also in the comprehensive upgrade of market layout, product strength, and brand strength.

The significant effectiveness of market diversification strategy is a key support for export growth. The United States and Hong Kong remain the top two export markets, with exports to the United States reaching $330 million in the first quarter, a year-on-year increase of 18.4%, achieving five consecutive years of positive growth. The outbreak of emerging markets is even more iconic: exports to Indonesia surged by 147.9% year-on-year, and the single quarter export value has reached 30% of last year's total; The Russian market rebounded strongly, with a growth rate of 42.5%; China Vietnam trade shows long-term growth potential, with a compound annual growth rate of 18.3% for bilateral cosmetics imports and exports from 2019 to 2024, and an export value of 323 million yuan in 2024. In the Vietnamese market, the compound annual growth rate of powder puff and powder pat categories exceeds 39%, and nail polish cosmetics have skyrocketed by 2596%, accurately matching the beauty needs of the local young population.

The innovation of the brand's overseas path promotes the transformation of exports from "product output" to "value output". Cultural empowerment has become the core strategy for differentiated competition: Huaxizi focuses on "Eastern cosmetics" and integrates traditional elements such as Tongxin Lock and Su Embroidery into product design, sparking topical communication on overseas social platforms; Plant doctors focus on the Chinese herbal ingredients and have opened "museum style" specialty stores in Japan and Indonesia, combining plant culture such as dendrobium with traditional Chinese medicine experiences such as guasha, achieving a dual breakthrough in brand awareness and cultural dissemination. Yan Jiangying, president of China Flavor essence and Cosmetics Industry Association, pointed out that this combination of "cultural connotation+product efficacy" avoids the misunderstanding of symbol stacking, and makes culture truly a "plus" for brands.

Localized operation and technological innovation have laid a solid foundation for export growth. Juyi Group launched customized air cushion powder with high sun protection and high concealer for the Southeast Asian market, added 7 color numbers suitable for different skin tones, and established a local team to take charge of market research and product testing. Its brands have been sold to more than 50 countries and regions around the world. On the technical side, Furuida's independently developed technologies such as "silanized hyaluronic acid" and "recombinant collagen" have reached the international leading level. Its hyaluronic acid raw materials are exported to more than 70 countries, becoming an important supplier for overseas brands. In 2024, the continuous investment in research and development increased by 20.05% year-on-year, demonstrating the logic of technology driven development.

3、 Challenge and Prospect: The Path to Advancement from a Trading Power to a Brand Power

The current cosmetics trade in China still faces many challenges: the import side needs to cope with global supply chain fluctuations and competition from high-end brands; On the export side, there is a hidden concern of "increasing quantity and lowering price" - the unit price of skincare products in Sino Vietnamese trade has dropped from 104.7 yuan/kg in 2019 to 52.6 yuan/kg, and the expansion of nail art products is accompanied by fierce price wars, reflecting that value barriers have not yet been fully established. In addition, regulatory differences and cultural adaptability in different markets remain important tests for brands to go global.

Looking ahead to the future, the key to trade upgrading lies in achieving "three transformations": firstly, transforming supply chain advantages into brand advantages, and enhancing product premium capabilities through technological research and cultural innovation; The second is to transform the export of a single product into ecological output, promoting the participation of the entire industry chain including raw materials, packaging materials, and research and development services in global division of labor. Raw materials such as hyaluronic acid have already occupied major market shares worldwide, providing basic support for trade upgrading; The third is to transform the potential of emerging markets into long-term growth drivers, and deepen localization layout in response to the consumption upgrading needs of regions such as ASEAN and the Middle East.

With the increasing international influence of Chinese culture and the strengthening of industrial innovation capabilities, cosmetics trade is transitioning from "two-way flow" to "two-way leadership". In this process, brands that combine technological strength, cultural heritage, and global vision will eventually shine as "Chinese business cards" in the global beauty market.