Historic Chinese beverage firm diversifying in products for export push

Tianjin Shanhaiguan Beverage Co. Ltd. previously only manufactured its orange soda drink, that is largely marketed in its domestic market. According to Cassie Yao, foreign trade salesperson, only a small amount has been exported to Singapore.

However, from October 2017, the company began to manufacture tomato pastes at its Tianjin factory, with the firm already picking up some customers in Africa.

Speaking to us at the Gulfood show in Dubai, Yao said the company was hopeful of securing business in the Middle East, where tomato paste is a popular ingredient.

“Dubai and the Middle East have huge potential for us to grow in the market for canned tomato paste. We hope to get some opportunities in this trade fair, and in this country and market,”​ she said.

International ambitions​

“We really hope, within a year or two, we can build a whole sales network for canned tomato paste with stable customers and markets, possibly even in other parts of the world; maybe in America or Europe.”​

Around the same time Tianjin Shanhaiguan began producing canned tomato paste, it also started to produce the new Shanhaiguan Walnut Beverage.

The company is eyeing European opportunities for the product. It is also planning to launch apple, pineapple and blueberry sodas.

 “I hope we also can push these products in Asian markets but, at the moment, it seems the opportunities in the region are less than in the European market. But we will try to find more possibilities,”​ she said.

Tianjin Shanhaiguan employs about 200 people. Apart from its beverage and tomato paste products, it also undertakes private label manufacturing.