Spice merchants select products at Yulin International Spice Trading Market. [Photo/China News Service]

Yulin in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region will develop a 100-billion-yuan-level ($14-billion) industrial cluster in the traditional Chinese medicinal herbs and spices sector, aiming to establish itself as the world's capital for spices and the national center for TCM herbs, local officials announced on March 1.

As the "Southern Medicine Capital" and "Southern Spice Capital" of China, Yulin has historically been a significant cultivation and distribution center for spices in Southeast Asia. In 2023, the Yulin International Spice Trading Market achieved an annual transaction volume of 32 billion yuan.

Currently, Yulin distributes over 80 percent of China's and more than two-thirds of the world's spices, making it the largest hub for spice import and export, a pricing center, and a trading hub in China. The city is home to over 2,000 businesses engaged in producing and selling TCM herbs and spices, employing over 6,000 people directly and over 100,000 individuals across the entire industry chain.

The city is committed to establishing a comprehensive distribution center for TCM herbs and spices, with a modern and intensive approach, targeting the entire range of products for the China-ASEAN market. 

Additionally, the city will vigorously promote the standardization, regularization, and scaling of TCM herbs and spices cultivation, accelerating the establishment of significant TCM herbs and spices cultivation bases nationwide.