What Is Ejiao? Why China Is Importing Donkeys from Pakistan

When Pakistan shipped its first-ever consignment of donkey meat, bones, and hides to China — 81 tonnes sailing out of Gwadar port — readers had one big question: why does China want donkeys? The answer is a single word: ejiao. This guide explains what it is, why demand has exploded, and why Pakistan has suddenly become part of the story.

Background reading: Pakistan Exports First-Ever Donkey Cargo to China: 81 Tonnes Sail from Gwadar

What exactly is ejiao?

Ejiao (pronounced "uh-jyow") is a gelatin made by boiling down donkey hides. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, where it is traditionally believed to nourish the blood, treat fatigue and anaemia, improve sleep, and support skin health. It is sold as solid blocks, powders, and ready-to-drink tonics, and in recent years it has crossed over from traditional apothecaries into China's mainstream wellness and beauty industries.

To be clear: these are traditional beliefs and commercial claims, not conclusions of modern clinical medicine. But belief drives markets — and the market for ejiao has grown enormously.

Why did demand explode?

Two forces collided. First, China's rising middle class developed a huge appetite for premium health and beauty products, and ejiao — with its centuries-old reputation — was perfectly positioned. Second, manufacturers scaled up production and marketing, turning a niche traditional remedy into a mass-market wellness brand.

The result: demand for donkey hides far outstripped what China's own donkey population could supply. China's domestic donkey numbers have been declining for years, partly because mechanisation reduced the need for working donkeys and partly because rising ejiao demand itself depleted herds.

Why the world started restricting exports

As Chinese buyers looked abroad, donkey populations across Africa, Asia, and Latin America came under intense pressure. Several African countries responded by restricting or banning donkey exports and slaughter, alarmed at how quickly herds were being depleted. Animal-welfare organisations have also raised concerns about how donkeys are transported and slaughtered for the trade. This is the backdrop that makes Pakistan's entry significant: instead of an informal, unregulated trade, Pakistan has built a formal, industrialised channel.

Why Pakistan?

Pakistan has one of the largest donkey populations in the world. A Chinese company, Hangeng, operating from the Gwadar North Free Zone, has built Pakistan's first modern donkey processing facility — a $50 million plant designed specifically to serve this trade. The first shipment passed full standards checks and customs clearance before sailing: three 27-tonne consignments, frozen and transported by sea.

For Pakistan, it is a genuine experiment in export diversification — a country whose exports have long been dominated by textiles, finding an entirely new product and market. For China, it is a new, formalised supply chain for ejiao raw material as traditional sources restrict exports.

The questions that remain

The big unknown is sustainability. Can Pakistan scale this industry without depleting its own herds or drawing the welfare criticism that has followed the trade elsewhere? The operators point to formal standards and regulated processing as the answer. Whether breeding programmes and herd management develop alongside the processing plants will decide if this becomes a lasting export success — or a controversial one.

Quick answers

Is ejiao proven medicine? Its benefits are traditional claims; modern clinical evidence is limited. Treat marketing claims with healthy scepticism.

Is the donkey trade legal in Pakistan? Yes — the Gwadar facility operates formally, with standards checks and customs clearance.

How big could this get? That depends on Chinese demand, Pakistani herd management, and how regulators on both sides handle welfare concerns. The $50 million facility suggests the investors are betting big.

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