Meat imports to China fell again in March

The volume of products imported into the country decreased by 42% compared to the same month in 2021.

In March , CHINA imported 594,000 tons of MEAT, down 42% from last year's record. Meat imports in the first three months of this year, which amounted to 1.7 million tons, fell by 37% compared to the same period last year. Preliminary figures do not provide specifics on meat imports by category, but the sharp drop was due to a significant reduction in pork supplies as domestic pork production soared as the country actively rebuilt its herd after an outbreak of African swine fever.

However, the trend will not change in the coming months as lockdowns at several Chinese ports disrupt trade. According to BLOOMBERG, Maersk, the world's largest shipping company has stopped new orders for refrigerated cargo to Shanghai due to a local government-dictated lockdown, and the context will affect operations in all ports in South China.. Shanghai is also the main point of entry for Brazilian meat imports into mainland China, which is expected to have a major impact on Brazilian meat exports. According to some sources cited by REUTERS, at least one shipping line operator has stopped shipping Brazilian meat to Shanghai, instead offering customers an alternative to shipping to Xingan and Ningbo. One major Brazilian meat exporter has canceled a shipment of three containers, and another has stopped booking new shipments. This could lead to a larger decline in China's meat imports in April.