China's cold chain logistics market to exceed 585 billion yuan in 2026: Asia‑Pacific remains largest and fastest‑growing region, new models mature
Global cold chain services market reached 2.75 trillion yuan in 2025, up 12.11% year‑on‑year. Average annual growth forecast for the next decade is about 13.8%. China sees steady demand growth: "central kitchen + cold chain", "pharmaceuticals + cold chain", and "quick retail + cold chain" are entering a mature stage.
As reported by CCTV+, according to the 2026 China Cold Chain Logistics Development Report released on Wednesday by the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP), China's cold chain logistics market is projected to exceed 585 billion yuan this year.
The global cold chain logistics services market reached approximately 2.75 trillion yuan in 2025, a year‑on‑year increase of 12.11%, with an expected average annual growth rate of around 13.8% over the next decade. The Asia‑Pacific region is expected to remain both the largest and fastest‑growing market.
In recent years, China's demand for cold chain logistics has steadily increased. Business models such as "central kitchen + cold chain", "pharmaceuticals + cold chain", and "quick retail + cold chain" are gradually entering a mature development stage.
Experts note that the cold chain is the most dynamic and people‑oriented segment of the modern commodity circulation system. It is a foundational service industry ensuring livelihoods and quality consumption. It is also a key link for integrating into the global economic and trade environment.
Ma Zengrong, Vice Chairman and Secretary General of the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP), said: "The cold chain sector has gone beyond traditional logistics services, demonstrating characteristics of integrated development across industries, sectors, and countries. Through cooperation between supply and demand sides, as well as the interconnection of domestic and international resources, we are accelerating the efficient flow of trade, logistics, information, and capital to build a global cold chain ecosystem characterized by complementary strengths, openness, and mutual reinforcement."
Today's cold chain is no longer just about refrigerators and warehouses. It is the bridge between farm freshness and the consumer's table, between a vaccine and a patient, between a local producer and the global market. When China's market crosses the 585 billion yuan mark and Asia accelerates ahead of all others, it becomes clear: cold is no longer an enemy but an ally in global trade. And perhaps, in those precise degrees, lies the future of how we eat, heal, and live.
