EU holds a large share of Chinese imports

According to BPEX Pig Market Weekly, the Chinese pork import market strengthened in the first half of the year, with volumes up by 9% compared with the same period a year earlier. The latest figures showed pork imports at a record high for the first half of the year. A large proportion of the pork supplied to China was from the EU, holding almost 60% of the market, but shipments from the EU remained relatively stable compared with last year. However, this was a considerable rise in comparison to the volumes recorded in the first half of 2012.

The US remained the leading supplier of pork to China and trade strengthened by nearly 60%, despite the impact of PEDv, although it remained well below the levels recorded in the first half of 2012. Among EU suppliers, imports from Spain and Denmark rose by 41% and 9% respectively but there was lower availability (down 34%) from the Germans. By June, US shortages were starting to impact on trade, with volumes from there down by 14%, while EU shipments were up 5%, increasing its market share to 65%. While the UK accounts for a smaller market share, around 5%, the latest figures indicate progress, as China imported 43% more UK pork compared with 2013. The value of pork imported by China between January and June rose by 8% to RMB 3.4 billion (£335 million).