China-US pork variety meat exports fall 12% as tariffs and weak demand pressure trade
China remains the largest destination for US pork variety meats despite falling volumes.
GLOBAL – US pork variety meat shipments to China have declined as trade frictions, oversupply and softer demand weigh on flows.
China remains the main destination for US pork variety meat according to USDA and USMEF data.
Through February, total US pork exports to China dropped 12% year on year to 65,553 metric tons, while value declined 23% to US$138.5 million.
The downturn was also reflected in variety meat shipments, which fell 6% to 47,182 metric tons and decreased 21% in value to US$97.8 million.
China’s meat export performance
China’s meat and edible meat offal exports reached US$1.23 billion in 2024, according to UN COMTRADE data, reflecting expanding participation in global trade.
In early 2026, shipments strengthened, with cumulative meat exports in the first eight months of 2025 rising 15.7% year on year to US$2.37 billion, and August volumes increasing 41.6% to 130,800 tons, driven mainly by the poultry and processed meat categories, according to trade data.
The export mix has been led by processed chicken and pork products, with shipments directed largely to Hong Kong, Japan and other Asian markets.
Chicken meat exports continued to expand, reaching US$2.59 billion in 2025, while China also emerged as a net exporter of chicken meat by 2024, according to USDA Foreign Agricultural Service data, supported by growing overseas demand in selected Asian markets.
Pork exports remain concentrated in regional markets such as Hong Kong and Macau, maintaining significant value despite shifts in global demand patterns.
Frozen bovine meat exports remained comparatively small at about US$23.7 million in 2024, with Hong Kong as the primary destination.
Market conditions continue to shift as China increases domestic production capacity, diversifies export destinations, and strengthens its position in price-sensitive meat markets while adapting to changing import and export balances.
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