China’s imports of pork and pork by-products fell by 14 percent in the first half of 2026. While demand for pork declined significantly, by-products remained in demand. Despite trade losses, Spain remains the most important supplier, while Russia was able to massively expand its exports.
The latest Chinese foreign trade figures show a further significant decline in pork imports to China in the first half of 2026. According to the Agricultural Market Information Company (AMI) and the Danish Federation of Agriculture and Food Producers (L&F), the total import volume of fresh and frozen pork and by-products fell by around 14% to approximately 947,000 tons compared to the same period last year.
However, a clear divide emerges among the individual product groups. While imports of fresh and frozen pork plummeted by a significant 28% to around 381,000 tons, Chinese demand for pork by-products remained almost stable at approximately 566,000 tons, with a minimal decline of just 1%.
A closer look at the individual supplier countries reveals some very different trends. Spain maintained its position as the most important supplier to China, as a regionalization agreement allows the country to continue deliveries for the most part despite the outbreak of African swine fever. However, due to regional lockdowns, Spain lost around 15% compared to the previous year, reaching approximately 230,000 tons.
The USA follows in second place and benefited primarily from stable demand for by-products, which is why the decline in US deliveries, at around 6% to approximately 160,000 tons, was comparatively mild. Denmark, on the other hand, defied the general downward trend and was even able to increase its deliveries to China by around 4% to approximately 91,000 tons in the first half of 2026. Also noteworthy was the significant increase in deliveries from Russia to 49,000 tons (+93.4%).
The continued decline in total Chinese imports marks the continuation of a trend that began after the historic import peak in 2020 and 2021. This is primarily due to the successful rebuilding of domestic pig herds following the massive losses caused by African swine fever (ASF). As a result, China has significantly improved its self-sufficiency and is considerably less dependent on imports. Furthermore, very low domestic Chinese prices this year made exports to China less economically attractive for many exporters.
