China Beckons as Next Big OJ Market While Demand Elsewhere Drops

  • Brazil’s Citrosuco is seeking new ways to reach Asian markets
  • Fresh juice demand in China first surfaced this year, CEO says
Oranges are mechanically selected at the Citrosuco plant in Matao municipality.Source: Fabiana Batista
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China could be the panacea for an orange-juice industry grappling with sliding sales in developed markets, at least for low-cost producers not caught up in trade wars.

Citrosuco fits that description. The Brazilian company produces twice as much as the entire Florida industry, at about a third of the cost. For decades, it has sold the commodity to well-known brands in Europe and the U.S. including PepsiCo Inc.’s Tropicana. But in China, local retailing and bottling startups have emerged as the best way to target a new generation of consumers.