Exporters and specialists from AHDB returned to SIAL Shanghai to showcase British Pork to the wider international market.
At this year’s international trade show in China, organisers welcomed visitors from overseas for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic and the event provided a major platform for exporters’ products to be presented to new and existing clients. Holly Chen, AHDB’s China representative, had maintained an important presence at the show during the pandemic years.
China is one of the UK’s largest pork export markets and took 126,723 tonnes, almost £203m, in 2022. In the first quarter of 2023, pork exports to China were valued at £52m, with a strong demand for fifth-quarter exports.
AHDB’s senior export manager, Susan Stewart, said: “SIAL Shanghai is a major event in the international trade calendar, it was exciting for us to be back in person to hold important meetings with both existing and new clients and showcase high quality British Pork.
“Although this is the first time in four years we have been able to attend the show in person we have maintained an important presence in the interim via Holly Chen, our China representative who works solely for AHDB via the China Britain Business Council.
“Holly has played a pivotal role in maintaining our presence while the UK-based team and UK exporters were unable to travel to market. While the Chinese pig meat market is in a more challenging position, UK exports to China have remained robust and we can now look forward to building on this to maximise opportunities in this key market.”