China's August Beef Imports Rise, Pork and Poultry Decline Amid Shifting Global Supplies

Beef

New trade data reveals that China's beef imports reached 257,000 tonnes in August 2025, an increase of 6,000 tonnes (2.6%) from July and 25,000 tonnes (11%) higher than the same month last year. The import value for the month was recorded at US$1.39 billion, up 5.1% month-on-month and 25.3% year-on-year.

Over the first eight months of 2025, cumulative beef imports stood at 1.81 million tonnes, a decrease of approximately 80,000 tonnes (4%) compared to the same period in 2024. The total import value for January-August was US$9.36 billion, marking a 4% year-on-year increase. This resulted in an average import price of US$5,176 per tonne, which is 8.4% higher than the previous year.

A detailed breakdown of the import structure for the eight-month period shows a 3.9% year-on-year decline in frozen boneless beef, a 4.7% decrease in frozen bone-in beef, and a 4.9% drop in chilled beef. A particularly sharp fall was recorded for frozen whole and half carcass beef, which plummeted by 97.8%, from 195.3 tonnes to just 4.2 tonnes.

The import price for beef in August rebounded to US$5,414 per tonne, reflecting a 2.4% increase from July and a 12.9% rise compared to August 2024.

In August, China sourced its beef from 16 countries, with Brazil, Argentina, Australia, Uruguay, and New Zealand being the top five suppliers. Imports from Brazil and Australia showed significant, sustained growth, with August volumes of 138,000 tonnes (up 24% year-on-year) and 32,000 tonnes (up 72% year-on-year), respectively. In contrast, imports from the United States fell sharply to 1,158 tonnes in August, a 90% year-on-year decrease. Cumulatively, imports from the US for the first eight months totalled 53,000 tonnes, down 42% year-on-year.

Pork

China's pork imports in August 2025 amounted to 81,700 tonnes, a month-on-month decrease of 7.5% and a year-on-year decline of 12.5%. The import value for the month was US$168 million, down 8.5% month-on-month and 10.4% year-on-year.

For the January-August period, total pork imports reached 708,000 tonnes, a slight increase of 13,000 tonnes (1.8%) compared to the same period last year. The cumulative import value was US$1.44 billion, up 6.1% year-on-year, with an average price of US$2,035 per tonne, a 4.2% increase.

The import structure shows that pork fat imports in August fell by 34% year-on-year, accounting for 0.8% of the total pork imports, a lower proportion than in August 2024. Over the eight months, pork fat imports decreased by 18% year-on-year, making up 1.2% of the total.

The August import price for pork was US$2,061 per tonne, down 1.1% from July but up 2.4% year-on-year.

China imported pork from 17 countries in August, with Spain, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Chile as the primary sources. Imports from Brazil saw a significant decline, with monthly volumes from May to August falling by over 40% year-on-year. In August specifically, imports from Brazil were just 10,000 tonnes, down 40% year-on-year, marking the lowest monthly volume in the first eight months. Cumulative imports from Brazil for the period were 116,000 tonnes, a 33% year-on-year decrease.

Pork Offal

Imports of pork offal in August stood at 91,000 tonnes, down 6.8% month-on-month and nearly 11% year-on-year. The import value was US$195 million, falling 6.6% month-on-month and 13.2% year-on-year.

In the first eight months, offal imports totalled 762,000 tonnes, a marginal 0.2% year-on-year increase. The import value was US$1.61 billion, down 1.8%, with an average price of US$2,114 per tonne, a 2% decrease.

The import price for pig offal in August was US$2,136 per tonne, up 0.3% month-on-month but down 2.8% year-on-year.

China imported offal from 15 countries, led by the United States, Spain, Canada, the Netherlands, and Denmark. Among the top ten suppliers, imports from the US decreased by 18% year-on-year over the eight-month period, while shipments from the Netherlands and Denmark saw slight declines. Imports from most other countries increased, with a notable surge from Russia, which reached nearly 19,000 tonnes - a 4.7-fold increase compared to the same period last year.

Mutton

China imported 19,771 tonnes of mutton in August 2025, a decrease of 6,488 tonnes (24.7%) from July and 2,085 tonnes (9.5%) lower than August 2024. The import value was US$77.35 million, down 25.7% month-on-month but up 20.2% year-on-year. This volume represents the lowest monthly import figure since 2022.

Cumulatively, mutton imports for the first eight months reached 259,000 tonnes, an increase of 4,000 tonnes (1.6%) year-on-year. The total import value was US$992 million, up 24.8%, with an average price of US$3,831 per tonne, a 23% increase.

The import structure for the eight-month period included 314 tonnes of chilled lamb (a nearly 70% increase), 924 tonnes of chilled mutton (a 120% increase), and 1,018 tonnes of frozen lamb (a nearly 60% decrease).

The August import price for mutton was US$3,912 per tonne, down 1.3% month-on-month but up 33% year-on-year.

Mutton was imported from five countries: New Zealand, Australia, Uruguay, Chile, and Madagascar. Imports from New Zealand totalled 128,800 tonnes in the first eight months, down 2.1% year-on-year and accounting for 49.7% of the total. Imports from Australia reached 127,600 tonnes, up 8.7% year-on-year, constituting 49.3% of the total.

Poultry

Poultry product imports in August were 34,000 tonnes, a decline of 15,000 tonnes (30%) month-on-month and 59,000 tonnes (63%) year-on-year. The import value was US$106 million, down 32% month-on-month and 63% year-on-year. This was the lowest monthly import volume since 2020.

Cumulatively, poultry imports for January-August were 523,000 tonnes, down 105,000 tonnes (16.7%) year-on-year, with a total value of US$1.57 billion, a 19.4% decrease.

The import structure for August shows year-on-year decreases of 49% for frozen chicken feet, 72% for frozen chicken wings, and 91% for frozen chicken meat. Over the eight-month period, imports of frozen chicken feet, wings, and meat decreased by 18%, 13%, and 20% respectively, accounting for approximately 46%, 33%, and 10% of total poultry imports.

In August, import prices were as follows:

• Frozen chicken feet: US$3,361 per tonne, down 3.8% month-on-month and 12.3% year-on-year.

• Frozen chicken wings: US$2,968 per tonne, down 11.4% month-on-month and 4.5% year-on-year. Both products saw their lowest import prices since 2023 in August.

• Bone-in frozen chicken blocks: US$1,340 per tonne, up 3.1% month-on-month but down 0.1% year-on-year.

In August, China imported 18,000 tonnes of poultry from Russia, a 35% year-on-year increase, accounting for 53% of the month's total. Over the first eight months, imports from Russia reached 113,000 tonnes, up 24% and constituting 22% of the total, making Russia China's second-largest poultry supplier. Imports from Brazil and the US during the eight-month period fell by 23% and 69% year-on-year, respectively, with August figures down 95% and 86%. China sourced poultry from 12 countries in the first eight months, adding four new sources - Chile, Argentina, Finland, and France - compared to the same period last year.