China’s Meat Imports Show Mixed Signals in 2025: A Closer Look at June’s Performance
In the first half of 2025, China’s meat import volume experienced a notable decrease, reaching 1.3 million tons, a 9.5% dip compared to the 1.43 million tons recorded in the same period of 2024. This trend falls short of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) projection of a 2.2% increase in China’s import volume for the year.
However, June 2025 presented a more optimistic picture, with meat imports climbing to 220,000 tons. This represents a meaningful 16% increase from May’s 190,000 tons. On a year-over-year basis, June imports saw a 3.8% rise in tonnage and a substantial 12.3% increase in dollar value, totaling US $1,106 million. The average price per ton in June stood at US $5,027.
Despite the monthly surge, the first semester’s import value for beef saw a 3.3% decline in dollar terms, amounting to US $6,650 million, with the average price settling at US $5,115 per ton.
Pork imports demonstrated resilience, increasing by 3.4% year-on-year in June to 90,000 tons,with a corresponding 12.6% rise in value to US $182 million. The average price for pork in June was US $2,030 per ton. Over the first semester, pork imports saw a 5% increase in volume and a 9.6% increase in value.
The upward pricing trend was observed across various meat categories, most notably in sheep meat. In June, sheep meat imports rose by 2.2% year-on-year to 29,000 tons, while expenditure surged by 29.5% to US $213 million, averaging US $3,865 per ton. For the first half of 2025, china’s sheep meat purchases reached 213,000 tons, valued at US $811 million, marking a 4.7% increase in volume and a significant 26% jump in dollar value.
What are your thoughts on these shifting import dynamics? Does this signal a change
