The export of star anise, the basic ingredient of the antiviral Tamiflu made by Swiss drug giant Roche, has been skyrocketing due to the growing fear of human infection of bird flu.
Statistics provided by the Huangpu Customs in Guangzhou showed the star-shaped anise exported via the port totaled 278 tons in October, gaining a 1.4-fold increase year-on-year.
The port exported 1,649 tons of star anise, worth US$2.86 million, from January to October, up 13.6 percent and 25.6 percent, respectively, over the same period of last year.
Hong Kong and the ASEAN countries are the destinations of the exported commodity, which is usually dried up and used as spices for cooking.
One of the basic ingredients of Tamiflu is shikimic acid, which is derived via fermentation or from the pod of the star-shaped anise fruit grown in China.