This was according to experts speaking at “Exploring Export Opportunities in APAC’s Booming Health and Wellness Market,” a discussion sponsored by the United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA) in partnership with the International Trade Administration, U.S. Commercial Service and WPIC Marketing and Technologies.

“Cross-border e-commerce allows dietary supplement brands to sell to consumers, bypassing traditional regulatory hurdles,” said Daniel Mabey, Asia president and director of strategic markets at UNPA. “Cross-border e-commerce utilizes free trade zones to facilitate sells onto platforms. If you’re exporting to China or other markets, your products are held in bonded warehouses and then distributed through to the users.”

Maby added that to operate a storefront on these e-commerce platforms, companies must work with a trade partner or e-commerce accelerator to navigate the ins and outs of these platforms.

In 2023, the health products market size in China was nearly $60 billion and e-commerce was 46% of this market, said Peter McMath, chief revenue officer at WPIC Marketing + Technologies, a firm dedicated to helping brands successfully enter and expand in the Asian markets through e-commerce.

“The rise of social commerce has been very dominant within mainland China, as opposed to some of the more omnichannel opportunities,” he said. “This is a very exciting market. The cross-border infrastructure allows brands to access this ultimately massive market through a handful of e-commerce channels that can be very simple to activate.”