China imported 133,744 metric tons of pistachios in 2024, making it the world's second-largest buyer after the EU. The US supplied 68% of that, Iran most of the rest. Now Iran's exports are down roughly 30% year-to-date in 2025/26, squeezed by drought, port disruptions near the Strait of Hormuz and a domestic export slowdown. That gap is pulling even more Chinese demand toward American growers.
But winning the import battle isn't the same as winning the shelf. In China, Wonderful competes on premium positioning and marketing muscle, while local players, Three Squirrels, Be & Cheery, Qiaqia, Liangpin Puzi, win on distribution reach, flavor localization (wasabi, spiced, sweet butter) and price. Three Squirrels alone closed 2024 at roughly RMB 10.6 billion in revenue, up 49% year over year, much of it from bulk-discount snack retail rather than gift boxes.
A few things worth tracking if you're entering or already in this market:
If you had to pick, would you rather own premium positioning or local distribution in a market like this? How are you reading competitor moves before you commit budget? This is exactly the kind of brand and channel mapping Radar is built for.
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