September 8, 2008

China imported 223,000 tonnes of pork with a value of US$320 million in the first half of 2008, up 0.7 times and 15.4 times respectively on-year, according to the General Administration of Customs.

Average import price increased 53.4 percent to US$1,435 per tonne, with pork imports reaching 60,000 tonnes with a value of US$95.28 million in June, up 10.5 times and 17.3 times respectively.

Pork import under general trade from January to June reached 219,000 tonnes, soaring 9.5 times and accounting for 98.2 percent of China's total pork imports in the period.

Of the total, 115,000 tonnes were imported from the US, up 28.7 times on-year, while 81,000 tonnes came from the EU, up 8.7 times. Pork imports from the US and the EU represented 87.9 percent of China's total pork imports in the first half of 2008.