Exporting Sesame Seed from Pakistan to China: What the 87% Jump Means for Exporters
Quick Answer
Pakistan's sesame exports to China rose 87% year on year to $68.56 million in the first nine months of 2025, on volume up 132% to 55.61 million kilograms. 177 Pakistani companies are now GACC-registered, though Pakistan's roughly 55,000 tonnes still covers a small share of China's 1.5-million-tonne annual sesame import demand.
| Jan-Sep 2025 export value | $68.56 million, up 87 percent year on year |
|---|---|
| Jan-Sep 2025 export volume | 55.61 million kg, up 132 percent year on year |
| GACC-registered exporters | 177 Pakistani sesame companies registered with China's customs authority |
| China's annual demand | About 1.5 million tonnes imported a year against roughly 320,000 tonnes produced domestically |
| Pakistan's market share | About 19 percent of China's sesame import value in 2024, ranked second after Niger |
Pakistan's sesame exports to China rose 87% year on year to $68.56 million in the first nine months of 2025, and volume grew even faster, up 132% to 55.61 million kilograms. 177 Pakistani companies are now registered with China's General Administration of Customs (GACC), giving them direct access to Chinese buyers. That is real growth, but it is still a small slice of a very large market: China imports roughly 1.5 million tonnes of sesame a year. This post breaks down the numbers, what GACC registration takes, and what buyers expect on quality.
How much did sesame exports to China actually grow in 2025?
According to GACC data, Pakistan's sesame seed exports to China climbed 87% year on year to $68.56 million in the January to September 2025 period. Volume told an even sharper story: Pakistan shipped 55.61 million kilograms of sesame to China in those nine months, up 132% from 23.95 million kilograms in the same period of 2024.
Price moved in the opposite direction of volume. The average price per kilogram fell from $1.52 in the 2024 period to $1.23 in 2025, while total value still climbed because the volume increase outpaced the price drop. The jump followed a Pakistani trade delegation's push into the Chinese market: at a "Sesame Trade and Investment Opportunities in China" event in September 2024, Pakistan's Ambassador to China Khalil Hashmi said a 23-member delegation secured deals for 15,000 metric tons and signed a $28 million memorandum of understanding with Daming, a Chinese government-backed enterprise.
This was not a one-year spike out of nowhere. The Express Tribune had already reported sesame exports to China surging 126.29% year on year in full-year 2023, reaching over $290 million on 166,682.987 tonnes, up 96.13% by volume from 84,985.321 tonnes worth $128.44 million in 2022. Pakistan has been building this trade relationship for several years; 2025 is the latest and largest step in the same trend.
What is GACC registration and how do exporters get it?
GACC is China's General Administration of Customs, and any exporter shipping food products directly to Chinese buyers needs to be registered with it. The registration system itself changed recently: as of September 5, 2024, China replaced the old 11-digit overseas exporter registration number with a new 18-digit number, and exporters who had not migrated needed to re-register under the new format to keep shipping.
Registration is paying off at scale. 177 Pakistani sesame companies are now registered with GACC, a number that reflects deeper integration into China's supply chain for edible oils, snacks, and health products, the main end uses for imported sesame in China. Exporters typically also carry TDAP registration alongside ISO and HACCP certification, since Chinese buyers and GACC both expect documented food-safety and quality management systems behind any registered exporter, not just the registration number itself.
What quality specification do Chinese buyers actually want?
Volume buyers in China are fairly consistent on specification: oil content of 50% or more, purity of 99% or more, and no off-flavour. These roughly track international quality benchmarks like ISO 22000 and HACCP, and exporters who cannot document consistent oil content and purity typically get priced down even if their registration paperwork is otherwise in order.
| Metric | Jan-Sep 2024 | Jan-Sep 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Export value | $36.59 million | $68.56 million | +87% |
| Export volume | 23.95 million kg | 55.61 million kg | +132% |
| Average price/kg | $1.52 | $1.23 | -19% |
The price decline alongside the value and volume growth is worth noting for exporters: buyers appear to be absorbing more volume at a lower per-kilogram price, which suggests Pakistan is competing partly on price as it scales up, not purely on premium positioning. That is a reasonable strategy for gaining share in a market this size, but it means margin management on the exporter side matters more as volumes grow.
How big is China's sesame market, and how much of it can Pakistan realistically win?
China is the world's largest sesame-importing nation by a wide margin, consuming roughly 1.5 million tonnes a year while producing only about 320,000 tonnes domestically. That gap is filled almost entirely by imports, which is why Beijing's rising edible oil demand keeps pulling in more foreign supply.
Pakistan currently holds about 19% of China's sesame import value, ranking as the second-largest supplier after Niger. Pakistan's roughly 55,000-tonne volume over the first three quarters of 2025 is still a small share of China's total import demand, since African suppliers such as Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Nigeria have traditionally covered more than half of what China buys. The 87% growth rate shows Pakistan gaining ground quickly, but there is a long runway left if that growth rate holds.
Who represents Pakistani sesame exporters, and what should new exporters know before entering the trade?
The Sesame Exporters Association of Pakistan (SEAP) describes itself as the national voice of the sector, uniting exporters, processors, and growers under one body to promote Pakistani sesame internationally. For an exporter new to the China trade, that association, alongside TDAP's own sesame desk, is generally the first point of contact for buyer introductions and delegation events like the one that produced the 2024 Daming deal.
The practical takeaway for anyone weighing whether to enter this trade: the 87% growth rate and the 177 registered companies both say the door is open wider than it was two years ago, but the underlying volume, around 55,000 tonnes against China's 1.5-million-tonne annual demand, means there is still room for new, well-documented exporters to win business rather than compete only against a handful of incumbents.
What should a sesame exporter check before shipping to China?
- Confirm your GACC registration is current under the 18-digit format introduced in September 2024, not the retired 11-digit number.
- Hold current TDAP registration alongside ISO and HACCP certification, since both GACC and Chinese buyers expect documented quality systems.
- Test and document oil content (50% or more) and purity (99% or more) before booking a shipment, since buyers price down on shortfalls in either.
- Confirm your buyer's specific contract terms against GACC's current food-safety documentation requirements, since registration formats and rules have changed within the last two years.
- Plan freight and documentation lead time the same way you would for any China-bound agricultural cargo moving through Karachi Port.
Olympic Agencies has cleared agricultural cargo, seeds, fertilizer, and agricultural machinery at Karachi Port and Port Qasim since 1982, and we handle export documentation and GACC-aligned paperwork for sesame and other agri-commodity exporters under our freight forwarding service. For related export guidance, see our posts on maize export quality controls and duty drawback and export incentives for agricultural exporters. Send us your sesame shipment volume and buyer details on WhatsApp and we will handle the clearance.
Exporting sesame to China? WhatsApp your volume and buyer details and we will handle export clearance and documentation.
WhatsApp us your shipment details →Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Pakistan's sesame exports to China grow in 2025?+
Exports rose 87 percent year on year to $68.56 million in the first nine months of 2025, according to China's General Administration of Customs (GACC) data. Volume grew even faster, up 132 percent to 55.61 million kilograms, though the average price per kilogram actually fell from $1.52 to $1.23 as volume expanded.
What is GACC registration and do sesame exporters need it?+
GACC is China's General Administration of Customs, and registration is required for direct export to Chinese buyers. As of September 5, 2024, China replaced the old 11-digit overseas exporter registration number with a new 18-digit number, and 177 Pakistani sesame companies are now registered under the current system.
What quality specs do Chinese sesame buyers expect?+
Major Chinese buyers typically look for oil content of 50 percent or more, purity of 99 percent or more, and no off-flavour, in line with international quality benchmarks. Exporters are generally expected to hold TDAP registration along with ISO and HACCP certification to meet both GACC and buyer expectations.
Is China a big enough market to justify shifting focus to sesame exports?+
Yes. China imports roughly 1.5 million tonnes of sesame a year against only about 320,000 tonnes of domestic production, making it the world's largest sesame-importing nation. Pakistan currently holds around 19 percent of China's sesame import value, the second-largest supplier after Niger, with room to grow given African suppliers still cover more than half of Chinese demand.
Olympic Agencies
Clearing agricultural cargo - seeds, fertilizers, and machinery - at Karachi Port and Port Qasim since 1982. Members of PIFFA and the Chamber of Commerce.
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