XINING — Exports of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have picked up last year, according to China Chamber of Commerce for Import & Export of Medicine & Health Products.

In 2017, China exported 358,000 tonnes of traditional Chinese medicine, up 0.7 percent year-on-year. Export value was $3.6 billion, up 2.1 percent, according to the chamber.

There was a spike in demand last year from Vietnam for cinnamon, goji berries, and the herb coptis, said Yu Zhibin, director of TCM department of the chamber.

Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand have traditions of using TCM, and international demand for TCM is rising, Yu said.

Last year, China imported 90,983 tonnes of TCM, up 13.62 percent. Dried logan and ginseng were among the top imported medicines. China’s domestic demand for TCM is also surging, Yu said.