Shanghai is the cradle of the export-oriented aroma industry in China because it is the most developed city in China for its industry, commerce and foreign trade.
More than 40 years ago, many aroma products produced by Polak and Naarden of Holland, Bush and Daniel of UK, Givaudan and Firmenich of Switzerland, and Fritzsche and Felton of the USA were imported to Shanghai regularly for cosmetic and compounding industries across the country. So, in terms of perfumery trade, Shanghai had established business links with fragrance and flavor houses outside China, and now inherits a tradition in doing foreign trade in this field.
The establishment of a modern fragrance and flavor industry in China, however, has enabled China to become a major supplier of perfumery and flavor materials to international markets after the birth of the People’s Republic. The world famous Polar Bear Brand menthol crystals were produced first in Shanghai in the early 40s and exported to the foreign market.
