Out of nowhere, crates of tomato paste start showing up from Chinese ports, moving without stop into supermarkets across continents. Without slowing down, massive production sites run nonstop, keeping pace day after day. One load looks just like the one before, thanks to standards locked in years ago. Fine-tuned shipping routes, shaped over time, let shelves refill quickly, almost like clockwork. When uncertainty hits elsewhere, buyers still expect steady availability and not

China is internationally renowned as one of the world's top tomato paste makers and exporters. China, which boasts rich agricultural...