“Gems of Gansu” Reach New Shores: Herbal Medicines Mark EU Milestone

 

 

A 2.1-ton shipment of traditional Chinese medicinal materials, including astragalus and codonopsis, has cleared inspection by Pingliang Customs, a subsidiary of Lanzhou Customs, and was recently dispatched to Poland. This milestone heralds the arrival of Gansu's herbal products in the European Union (EU) market. Cumulative exports of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) materials from Gansu to European countries have now exceeded one million yuan, representing a year-on-year surge of more than 200 percent.

 

 

Pingliang Customs officers inspect a batch of herbal medicines destined for overseas markets. Photographer: Li Jianzhen

 

 

Gansu has long been celebrated as a “ATreasury of Natural Medicines” and “Millennium Herbal Medicine Homeland”. Blessed by the waters of the Yellow River and a unique plateau climate, the region yields medicinal resources of exceptional quality. As a major growing region for these herbs in Gansu, Pingliang City boasts over 300 types of medicinal varieties. Among them, locally prized specimens such as astragalus, angelica, and white peony root have gained domestic and international renown for their proven efficacy. Today, these “Gems of Gansu” are making their way across mountains and seas to European markets, forging a new identity for the province’s traditional medicine sector on the global stage.

In recent years, amid rising global health awareness and growing international recognition of TCM, the EU marketis showing keener interest in high-quality Chinese medicinal herbs. Seizing this opportunity, Pingliang Customs has positioned the facilitation of herbal medicine exports as a key driver for enhancing the quality and efficiency of foreign trade. To this end, Customs officials have conducted targeted on-site inspections and consultations at cultivation bases and manufacturing facilities, aiming to precisely align with export requirements and address market-specific demands.

Among local firms proactively expanding their international reach, a prime example is Gansu Guocao Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., an integrated enterprise located in the Jingning Industrial Park of Pingliang City. The company manages the full supply chain from herb cultivation and processing to R&D and sales. Through sustained industry-academiaresearch collaboration, it continuously develops new products, building a diversified portfolio that spans raw materials, prepared slices, and extracts of TCM. Its products now reach major markets across the West and Southeast Asia.

Against the backdrop of rising export demand from enterprises and the growing potential of the herbal medicine industry, Pingliang Customs established a special task force and provided the “Customized Enterprise-Specific Solutions” under a dedicated assistance program. Leveraging service initiatives such as “Customs Chief Visits Enterprises for Policy Briefings” program and the "Ping Jie Tong" campaign (a fast-track channel for Gansu's key agricultural exports), the authority guided companies in building integrated quality, safety control and traceability systems spanning the entire supply chain, from cultivation and processing to export. To ensure production compliance, Customs officers provided multiple on-site visits. During such visits, theydetailed explanations of EU technical regulations on pesticide residues and heavy metal limits, guiding companies in establishing quality management systems that meet international standards.To streamline export clearance, it also launched a dedicated "green channel" for TCM exports. Leveraging the China International Trade Single Window, the authority implemented a fully paperless declaration process under a streamlined model where inspection follows declaration and release follows inspection, which significantly shortened clearance times.

"From cultivationbase registration to export clearance, Customs authority has provided professional and detailed guidance. Its support in particular on navigating EU technical standards has helped us avoid many pitfalls," said a representative of Gansu Guocao Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.

According to statistics released by Lanzhou Customs, the province exported 26 different categories of TCM materials from January to October, with the total export value reaching 74.136 million yuan, a 4.5 percent increase compared to the same period last year. An official from Pingliang Customs stated that the agency would continue to advance reforms to streamline administration and delegate power, improve regulation and upgrade services. Building on rigorous product safety standards, it will further refineits oversight and support mechanisms to help more local specialty agricultural products access international markets, injecting strong momentum into the province’s strategy of building a westward opening-up corridor.