China’s meat imports in October dropped to their lowest in 20 months according to customs data which showed the country brought in 664,000 tonnes of meat in October, down 12.8% from the same month a year ago,
According to the General Administration of Customs, this is the lowest since February 2020, as a rise in cheap domestic pork has impacted demand for overseas supplies.
Shipments in the first 10 months of 2021 were 8.05 million tonnes, down 1.5% from last year’s volumes, the data showed.
October imports were also down from the 694,000 tonnes brought in during September.
Whilst pork remains China’s most imported meat, domestic prices have plunged this year after a surge in production following the devastating African swine fever epidemic, outpacing demand.
Beijing has urged farmers to get rid of some sows and not rush to expand based on the recent rally, with excess production set to continue into next year, according to Reuters.
