(Yicai) Jan. 2 -- Chinese make-up products are becoming very popular in countries in Southeast Asia as well as in South Korea and Japan as more Chinese companies expand overseas to cope with intense competition and slowing growth back home.

China’s cosmetics exports to Thailand skyrocketed 21 times in the first 11 months last year from a year ago to CNY1 billion (USD140 million), according to customs data. While that to South Korea soared 2.6 times to CNY935 million (USD131.7 million), that to Indonesia surged 51.7-fold to CNY150 million and that to Vietnam jumped 6.4 times to CNY47.6 million (USD6.7 million).

Chinese cosmetics firms have no choice but to go global in search of more opportunities, industry insiders told Yicai. Since 2020, many companies have been setting up new brands abroad in order to drum up more business as their existing labels are not known outside of China.

A makeup factory in Guangzhou, which has a mature supply chain, formed a new brand three years ago mainly targeting Southeast Asia, Chen Qiao, head of the factory, told Yicai.

The Chinese beauty boom began in Japan in 2020 and many Japanese bloggers promoted the use of Chinese beauty products in their YouTube videos.

In the first half last year, Japan’s imports of Chinese makeup products surged 45 percent from a year earlier to JPY6.1 billion (USD430 million), becoming the second largest source of imports, according to the Cosmetics Importers Association of Japan. And in 2022, Japan’s imports soared 44 percent to JPY10.4 billion (USD740 million), ranking third.

In 2021, Japan became Into You’s first overseas destination and its products are available in over 500 brick-and-mortar outlets including LOFT, @cosme and Tokyu Hands, a person in charge told Yicai. As part of its go global strategy, the Hangzhou-based firm also established a presence on global e-commerce platforms such as Singapore’s Q100 and the US’ Amazon.

“This year we are also working on the South Korean and North American markets,” the person added.

And things should only get better this year as more industry leaders, including Shanghai Jahwa, expand their overseas footprint.

Editor: Kim Taylor