Yanbian Matsutake Exports Top 100 Million Yuan This Year

What changed

Yanbian, in China’s Jilin province, exported 371 tonnes of matsutake worth 106 million yuan by October 8, up 45% in volume and 86.8% in value from a year earlier. Yanji Customs now inspects the mushrooms directly on packing lines and supports an air-cargo route intended to deliver fresh matsutake to South Korea within 48 hours.

The region’s harvest runs mainly from August to September. A green customs channel for perishable agricultural products is designed to keep the mushrooms moving while reducing the cold-air loss caused by repeatedly opening boxes.

Why it matters

Matsutake is a race against the clock. Faster inspection can mean less time outside the cold chain, which helps exporters preserve the product before it reaches the South Korean market. The reported rise in export value outpaced the increase in volume, though the figures alone do not show whether that came from higher prices, a different product mix or other factors.

Yanbian is also trying to make the business less dependent on a short fresh-mushroom season. Yanji Customs has given tailored policy support to eight local processors developing freeze-dried matsutake, sliced products and soup packs.

That shifts part of the trade from selling a fragile harvest quickly to selling products that can travel beyond the harvest window. Whether the 48-hour route can operate at full seasonal capacity, and how profitable the exports are, remains unclear.