China’s dairy imports fell in 2023: What’s the outlook for 2024?

Published 2024년 2월 29일

Tridge summary

In 2023, China's dairy product imports saw a 12% decrease, largely due to a drop in whole milk powder imports, as a result of increased domestic milk production and a sluggish economy reducing demand. Despite this, there was a rise in imports of yogurts and whey products. New Zealand continues to be the top exporter of dairy products to China, followed by the United States, Germany, and Australia, while the UK holds less than 1% of the market share. Looking ahead, there may be an increased demand for high-value products like butter and cheese, given China's limited domestic production capacity for these items.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

Imports of dairy products into China totalled 2.6 million tonnes in 2023, down 12% compared to the previous year. Looking across the different dairy products, we see that imports of milk powders and liquid milk and cream were both down year on year, while yogurts and whey products saw increased import volumes. The decrease in powder imports was driven by a significant reduction in WMP volume, down 38% year on year. In contrast, SMP imports saw mild growth, with volumes up by 3% in 2023 compared to 2022. Source: Trade Data Monitor LLC These changing trends in product imports are, in part, driven by increased domestic production in China. USDA figures show Chinese milk production totalled 41 million tonnes in 2023 – up 4.6% from the previous year and a 28% increase compared to 2019. The other major driver of this change is the Chinese economy and its influence on demand, particularly for dairy in foodservice and elsewhere. The economy has not recovered in the way many had hoped ...

Source: Ahdb