Inside Pigs
Pork imports in China have grown again
China has suspended pork imports from several countries due to African Swine Fever (ASF). Despite this, China imported more pork in September than in August.
Read this article?
Become a subscriber and get instant access
Choose the subscription that suits you
In total, China imported 834.000 tons of meat in September. Of this, 380.000 tonnes amounted to pork, an increase of 30.000 tonnes compared to the previous month. The increase in imports is somewhat surprising because imports from Germany, which usually exports large volumes of pork to China, have been halted due to the outbreak of African swine fever.
Over the first 9 months of the year, China imported a total of 3,29 million tons of pork, according to figures from the General Customs Administration of China. Domestic pork production in the same period was approximately 19% lower than last year. This is because the country is still struggling with ASF outbreaks.
USDA predicts significant decline
China is the largest importer of pork worldwide, but the country is busy restoring domestic production. When the country itself can produce more pork, imports will naturally decrease. The US Department of Agriculture estimates that the import volume will be about 2021% lower in 6.