February 21, 2007

World pork imports to increase by 1 million tonnes

World's major pork importers are projected to increase trade by nearly 1 million tonnes between 2007 and 2016, says a US Department of Agriculture report.

Mexican pork imports increase nearly 200,000 tonnes between 2007 and 2016, making Mexico one of the fastest growing pork importers. Increases in income and population are the primary drivers of Mexico's increasing demand for pork products.

Higher income countries of East Asia, such as Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea, increase pork imports as their domestic hog sectors are constrained by environmental concerns and high imported feed costs. In South Korea and Japan, animal health related concerns regarding beef and poultry also boost pork demand, says the report.

As with beef, the projections assume that the TRQ that Russia imposed for pork in 2003 remains in effect until 2009. Although the TRQ initially lowered pork imports, Russia remains a major destination for competitively priced pork exports from the EU and Brazil as demand growth continues to exceed Russian meat producers' ability to respond. By 2016, Russia is projected to import about 250,000 tonnes more pork than in 2007, growing more than any other country.

In China, increasing incomes boost per capita pork consumption and raise imports in the projections. However, China's pork production and exports also continue to rise but China's net pork exports rise only slightly during the coming decade.