Japanese pork imports fall

Published Aug 20, 2021

Tridge summary

The article reports a 5% decrease in pig meat imports to Japan in the first half of 2021 compared to the previous year, totaling 567,700 tonnes. This decline is attributed to reduced foodservice demand due to COVID-19 restrictions, especially with the surge of the Delta variant in the country. The United States continued to be the largest supplier, followed by Canada, while imports from the European Union experienced a 13% drop. The ban on German pork due to African Swine Fever and a significant decrease in imports from Spain were balanced by increased shipments from Denmark and Ireland. Despite the current demand challenges, there is optimism for a slight recovery in imports in the latter half of 2021 due to low pork stocks and a forecasted 1% growth in import volumes for the year.

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Original content

Total pig meat shipments to Japan were down slightly in the first half of this year compared with last year, with volumes totalling 567,700 tonnes, 5% lower than in 2020, AHDB analyst Bethan Wilkins reported. “Lower imports have been influenced by ongoing weakness in foodservice demand due to coronavirus restrictions,” said Ms Wilkins. “This is likely to remain a challenge in the short-medium term, as Japan is currently struggling with rising cases of the Delta variant, with much of the country under a state of emergency.” The US remained the largest supplier, though volumes were 5% below last year at 208,800 tonnes for the first half of 2021. Canadian suppliers exported 125,200 tonnes of pork to Japan, up 3% on the previous year. Imports from the EU were 13% lower at 139,200 tonnes. Germany was banned late last year due to African Swine Fever cases within its borders. Imports from Spain also recorded a sharp drop of 19% to 49,900 tonnes. Other EU suppliers increased shipments and ...

Source: PigWorld