China: Trend of meat imports in 2023

In 2020, deeply affected by the occurrence of African swine fever, China imported just over 9 million tons of meat, which meant, in two years, an increase not far from 200%. And, naturally, the biggest increase fell on pork, whose imports increased by 262%. Also in a two-year period, beef volume increased by 103% and chicken by 192%. With the gradual overcoming of the disease, imports retreated in the last two years, tending now towards stabilization (the forecast by the USDA is an increase of only 1.63% compared to imports last year). But, in this stability, who should leave? losing – for the third consecutive year – is chicken meat (a reduction of almost 4% compared to 2022). Thus, pork and beef imports may increase between 2% and 2.5% in 2023. Compared to 2018, when Chinese production had not yet been affected by African swine fever (the first reports of the disease are from September of that year), only beef imports have been registering continuous growth. But the decline in ...