In 2014, the total amount of imported pork in China reached 546,000 tons, representing a decrease of 3% compared to 2013, but still higher than the figure in 2012. It is the first time that pork import figures decreased during the past four years.
International pork trade changed greatly in 2014. As the largest pork supplier to China, the amount of US pork accounted for less than 2% of the total volume imported in 2014 due to the devastating impact of the US’s clenbuterol issue and the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv). The amount of pork of EU origin exported to China increased to 368,700 tons in 2014, accounting for 65% of the market share. Key growth areas were seen in pork exported from Spain, Denmark and England which offset a decrease in exports from Germany, France and Poland.
The import of pork offal and scraps increased slightly in 2014. These pork muscle meat processing byproducts perform poorly in western countries due to dietary habits, making China a hugely profitable market for these products compared to North America or the EU.