BEWITAL Ramps Up Wet Cat Food Production in Weihai Bonded Zone on German Canning Lines
Executive Summary: BEWITAL, the German pet food group behind the Leonardo and Belcando brands, is running a smart canned food plant in Weihai’s comprehensive bonded zone in Shandong province, Dazhong Daily reported on September 18, 2026. A German-built line fills up to 400 cans a minute, with planned daily output of 50, 000 to 100, 000 cans. Products have reached the top of Tmall’s canned pet food bestseller list, and the company projects annual revenue above RMB 70 million.
Key Facts
- Company
- BEWITAL Pet Food (Shandong) Co., Ltd. — China unit of Germany’s BEWITAL group (brands: Leonardo, Belcando, Bewi Dog, Bewi Cat)
- Event
- Canned wet cat food and dog food production ramping on German filling lines in Weihai
- Date
- Reported September 18, 2026 (site visit September 15)
- Location
- Weihai Comprehensive Bonded Zone, Shandong, China
- Capacity
- Up to 400 cans per minute; planned 50, 000–100, 000 cans per day
- Projection
- Annual revenue above RMB 70 million; annual tax about RMB 10 million
- Source
- Dazhong Daily (Shandong provincial newspaper), September 18, 2026
What Happened
Dazhong Daily, Shandong’s provincial newspaper, on September 18, 2026 described production running inside BEWITAL’s new smart factory in the Weihai Comprehensive Bonded Zone. Silver cans move down an automated line at up to 400 per minute, fed by a German-built filling machine, with planned daily output between 50, 000 and 100, 000 cans. The plant closes each can immediately after filling, runs a sterilization wash and automated packaging sequence, and scans every mixed batch with a high-precision metal detector. Products have climbed to the top of Tmall’s canned pet food bestseller list, and the company projects annual sales revenue above RMB 70 million with roughly RMB 10 million in annual tax. General manager Daniel Joachim Bernatz told the paper the company feels at home in Weihai, praising the speed of local government support.
Background
BEWITAL is a family-owned German pet food group founded in 1963, known internationally for the super-premium Belcando dog range and the Leonardo cat range, plus Bewi Dog and Bewi Cat, with exports to more than fifty countries. The group landed its China project in February 2026, registering BEWITAL Pet Food (Shandong) Co., Ltd. with $3.15 million in registered capital, according to Weihai’s international week reporting; EUR 1.5 million of funds had arrived by mid-year and the wet line was then targeting an October start. The September report shows the ramp arrived at full speed: the line is running daily and its products already rank first on Tmall’s canned list — an unusually fast commercial landing for a newly built foreign pet food plant in China.
Industry Context
Import pet food brands in China face a squeeze that has been building for two years: domestic wet food makers improved quality while cutting prices, and cross-border e-commerce eroded the premium of imported labels. Producing inside a bonded zone changes the math. Raw materials — in BEWITAL’s case deep-sea fish, held in one of Shandong’s largest intelligent bonded cold warehouses — enter the zone, get processed, and finished cans exit for domestic sale or export without the full customs round trip of a conventional import model. Coastal clusters with seafood and cold-chain depth, like Weihai, are positioning themselves as the logical landing spots for European cat food manufacturer companies and other premium importers that want China-scale production with European recipes.
Market & Business Impact
The numbers, while modest against China’s giants, mark a strategic shift: projected revenue of RMB 70 million or more in the first ramp year would put the unit immediately among credible mid-tier canned players, backed by a German brand story that still carries weight on Tmall shelves. For China’s canned segment — where wet cat food leads demand — a 50, 000-to-100, 000-can daily line adds measurable pressure on domestic pricing at the premium end. For BEWITAL, local production hedges logistics costs and tariff exposure that have been eroding imported wet food margins.
Companies & Brands Involved
BEWITAL Pet Food (Shandong) Co., Ltd. operates the Weihai plant; the parent group’s brand portfolio spans Belcando, Leonardo, Bewi Dog, Bewi Cat and Dogland. The Weihai Comprehensive Bonded Zone administration provided infrastructure support including the bonded cold warehouse. Company profiles and market positions across China’s canned segment are tracked in GPI’s company directory and rankings.
Data & Evidence
Sourced figures: up to 400 cans per minute filling speed (German-built line); planned daily output of 50, 000–100, 000 cans; Tmall canned pet food bestseller list ranking; projected annual revenue above RMB 70 million and annual tax about RMB 10 million (Dazhong Daily, September 18, 2026). Background figures: February 2026 landing, $3.15 million registered capital, EUR 1.5 million arrived funds and an original October production target (Weihai international week report). Group background: founded 1963, exports to more than fifty countries (BEWITAL company information). GPI translated the Chinese reporting; figures are as stated by the source and not independently audited.
What This Means for the Pet Industry
GPI’s read: the significant signal is a 60-year-old German premium manufacturer choosing local bonded-zone production over exporting from Germany. Premium imports are no longer protected by brand alone in China’s canned aisle — they need local cost structures. Expect more mid-size European premium brands to follow the bonded-zone playbook in coastal Shandong and similar clusters, because it preserves the “German recipe” story while matching Chinese rivals on logistics cost and speed.
Key Takeaways
- BEWITAL’s Weihai plant in Shandong is running German-built canning lines at up to 400 cans per minute as of mid-September 2026.
- Planned daily output is 50, 000 to 100, 000 cans of canned pet food for the Chinese market.
- Products have reached the top of Tmall’s canned pet food bestseller list after the plant landed in February 2026.
- The company projects annual revenue above RMB 70 million and about RMB 10 million in annual tax.
- The project shows European premium brands adopting bonded-zone production in China to defend wet food margins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which company is building in Weihai?
BEWITAL Pet Food (Shandong) Co., Ltd., the China unit of Germany’s BEWITAL group, whose brands include Leonardo (cat food), Belcando (dog food), Bewi Dog and Bewi Cat.
Where is the plant located?
In the Weihai Comprehensive Bonded Zone in Shandong province, a coastal cluster with seafood resources and one of the province’s largest intelligent bonded cold warehouses.
How fast is production?
The German filling line runs at up to 400 cans per minute, with planned daily output of 50, 000 to 100, 000 cans.
What does the plant make?
Canned wet cat food and dog food from the group’s premium ranges, using deep-sea fish and other raw materials held in the bonded cold chain; products already top Tmall’s canned pet food bestseller list.
When did the project land?
The China unit registered in February 2026 with $3.15 million in registered capital; the wet line was originally targeting an October start and reached daily operation by September 2026.
Sources
- Primary — Dazhong Daily via Tencent News, “, 400 “, September 18, 2026 (translated by GlobalPetIndex)
- Secondary — Weihai International Week report on BEWITAL’s February 2026 landing, registered capital and October production target
- Secondary — BEWITAL petfood official site, brand portfolio (Belcando, Leonardo, Bewi Dog, Bewi Cat) and group background
