China 2025 Meat Imports: Beef Up, Pork and Poultry Down

Beef Imports: Lower Volumes, Higher Annual Value

In December 2025, China imported 208,000 tons of beef, up 11.1% month-on-month but down 23.5% year-on-year. Import value reached $1.11 billion, increasing 7.6% from November while falling 14.5% compared with a year earlier.

For the full year, China imported 2.801 million tons of beef, down 73,000 tons, or 2.5% year-on-year. However, total import value rose 8% to $14.79 billion.

• Import Structure

Frozen boneless beef remained dominant, accounting for 81.2% of total imports in 2025, up from 80.5% in 2024, despite a 1.7% volume decline. Frozen bone-in beef imports fell 6%, representing 16.4% of total volume. Chilled beef imports dropped 4.2%, accounting for 2.45%.

• Prices

In December, the average beef import price stood at $5,323 per ton, down 3.2% month-on-month but up 11.8% year-on-year. The 2025 annual average price reached $5,279 per ton, up 10.8% from 2024.

• Major Suppliers

China sourced beef from 20 countries in 2025. The top five suppliers were Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Uruguay, and New Zealand. Imports from Brazil and Australia increased 9% and 41% respectively, while shipments from Argentina, Uruguay, and New Zealand declined by 21%, 16%, and 24%.

Pork Imports Hit Seven-Year Low

In December 2025, China imported 56,400 tons of pork, down 7.2% month-on-month and 38.5% year-on-year, marking the lowest monthly level since 2019. Import value totaled $110 million, falling 6.7% from November and 44.1% year-on-year.

For the full year, China imported 976,000 tons of pork, down 97,000 tons, or 9.1% year-on-year, with total value decreasing 8.4% to $1.97 billion.

• Import Structure

While overall pork imports declined 9.1% in 2025, pork leg imports rose 5% year-on-year. Other frozen pork cuts and pork fat imports fell 12% and 49% respectively. Pork legs accounted for 25.7% of total pork imports, up 3.4 percentage points from 2024, indicating relatively stable demand.

• Prices

December pork import prices rebounded to $1,955 per ton, down 9.1% year-on-year. The 2025 annual average price was $2,023 per ton, up 0.8%.

• Major Suppliers

China imported pork from 17 countries. The top 10 suppliers were Spain, Brazil, Chile, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Canada, Denmark, United States, France, and Russia. Imports from Brazil and the United States dropped 35% and 24%, while shipments from the United Kingdom and Russia rose 16% and 67%.

Pork Offal: Prices Fall to Multi-Year Low

China imported 85,200 tons of pork offal in December 2025, down nearly 14,000 tons, or 14% year-on-year. Import value totaled $166 million in December, down 5.7% month-on-month and 26.7% year-on-year.

Annual pork offal imports totaled 1.109 million tons, down 3.2%, with value decreasing 7.8% to $2.324 billion.

• Prices

December import prices dropped 5.2% month-on-month to $1,952 per ton, the lowest level since 2021, and nearly 15% lower year-on-year. The annual average price declined 4.8% to $2,095 per ton.

• Major Suppliers

The top five suppliers were the United States, Spain, Canada, Denmark, and the Netherlands. China imported 249,000 tons from the United States, down 18.3%, accounting for 22.5% of total volume. Imports from Spain reached 223,000 tons, down 4%, representing 20.1%. The United States and Spain remained the two largest suppliers.

Lamb Imports: Volume Down, Prices Surge

In December 2025, China imported 25,068 tons of lamb, up 5,000 tons, or 25% month-on-month, but down nearly 32% year-on-year.

For the full year, China imported 339,000 tons of lamb, down about 28,000 tons, or 7.5% year-on-year, while total value increased 11.2% to $1.33 billion.

• Import Structure

Chilled mutton imports, though small in base volume, rose 230% to 2,527 tons, increasing their share to 0.75%. Goat meat imports climbed nearly 30% to 6,479 tons, representing 1.91%. Frozen bone-in mutton accounted for over 80% of total lamb imports, with nearly 280,000 tons imported in 2025, down 5.6% year-on-year.

• Prices

December lamb import prices rose to $4,359 per ton, up 2.9% month-on-month and 12.2% year-on-year, the highest level since July 2023.

• Major Suppliers

China imported lamb from six countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Uruguay, Chile, Madagascar, and Argentina. Australia and New Zealand together accounted for 98.9% of total imports. Imports from Uruguay, Chile, and Argentina declined 57.5%, 50.6%, and 54.3% respectively compared with 2024.

Poultry Imports: Sharp Contraction Continues

In December 2025, China imported 23,470 tons of poultry, up 9.2% month-on-month but down more than 70% year-on-year for the third consecutive month.

For the full year, poultry imports totaled 609,000 tons, down 35.4%, with import value falling 37.4% to $1.84 billion.

• Import Structure

Frozen chicken feet imports reached 295,000 tons, down 34.4%, accounting for 48.4% of total poultry imports. Frozen chicken wings totaled 194,000 tons, down 33.7%, representing 31.9%. Frozen bone-in chicken cuts fell 43.6% to 53,000 tons, with their share dropping to 8.7%. Notably, imports of frozen bone-in chicken cuts were zero from September through December 2025.

• Prices

In December, frozen chicken feet averaged $3,104 per ton, down 2.1% month-on-month and 16.3% year-on-year, while frozen chicken wings averaged $3,405 per ton, up 3.9% month-on-month and 7.4% year-on-year. For 2025, annual average prices were $3,519 per ton for chicken feet (down 3.8%) and $3,169 per ton for chicken wings (down 4.6%).

• Major Suppliers

China imported poultry from 12 countries in 2025. The top five suppliers were Brazil, Russia, Thailand, the United States, and Belarus. Imports from Brazil fell 47.8%, reducing its market share to 47.9%. Russia's shipments rose 9.2%, lifting its share to 25.9%. Imports from Thailand declined 14% year-on-year, but its share increased to 15.9% from 12% in 2024. Imports from the United States and Belarus declined sharply by 69.3% and 71% respectively.

Notably, poultry imports from Chile and Argentina expanded rapidly in 2025, both exceeding 10,000 tons.

Overall, China's 2025 meat import data reveal broad-based volume contractions in pork and poultry, moderate declines in beef and lamb volumes, and notable price resilience in beef and lamb, underscoring ongoing adjustments in domestic supply-demand balance and global trade flows.