China Strengthens Its Influence on the Global Walnut Market with New Characteristics

A powerful new player has emerged in the global walnut market — China, which is actively increasing its share thanks to competitive prices and unique properties of the raw material. Chinese walnuts are already posing serious competition to products from the USA, Chile, and Ukraine, forcing other exporters to adapt to the new trading conditions.

This is reported by AgroReview

Key Differences of Chinese Walnuts

Andriy Lapa, the owner of a walnut processing equipment manufacturing company, notes that Chinese walnuts have an exceptional kernel-to-shell ratio. According to him, about 70% of the walnut can be obtained from Chinese nuts, with only 30% being shell, which significantly exceeds the figures for Ukrainian raw materials, where the kernel share typically ranges from 30-35%.

“I was impressed by how high the kernel-to-shell ratio is. It turned out to be about 70% kernel and 30% shell. In contrast, with Ukrainian walnuts, the situation is the opposite, yielding only 30-35% kernel,” said Andriy Lapa.

Advantages and Features of Chinese Products

Another advantage of Chinese walnuts is their thin shell, which makes shelling significantly easier. However, as the expert adds, in terms of taste, Chinese walnuts may fall short compared to organic Ukrainian products, which are traditionally valued in the international market.

Thus, the emergence of China as a strong competitor in the global walnut market is already changing the balance of power among major exporters and shaping new trends for industry participants.