China: Livestock and Products Semi-annual

China’s beef production will increase by 1 percent in 2018 to 7.4 MMT. Nevertheless, China’s appetite for beef is forecast to grow by 3 percent to 8.4 million metric tons (MMT), outpacing demand and leading to higher imports. China recently approved several new suppliers, most notably the United States, to help meet this growing demand. Getting off to a slow, but steady start, U.S.-origin beef imports in 2017 were valued at $31 million dollars (representing six months of market access). In 2018, the number of swine on large-scale farms surpassed that of small-scale farms (for the first time). This change has resulted in a more productive swine herd, leading to an increase in domestic pork production by 3 percent to 55 MMT. This increased production will continue to put a downward pressure on prices, leading to a substantial decrease in imports (down to 1.5 MMT) and an increase in exports, mainly to Hong Kong.

China: Livestock and Products Semi-annual