Cheap Chinese chicken, pork and beef reportedly flood overseas markets

Output kept rising even as demand shifted. China produced a record 59 million metric tons of pork last year, poultry output increased 7%, and dairy production passed the government’s 2025 target two years early. Meanwhile, per-capita pork consumption fell 13% from its 2023 peak, while chicken intake rose by more than 50% in the decade through 2024.

The result is excess capacity that larger companies are trying to absorb through exports. Wintop Food, a poultry processor in Shandong province, told Reuters it processes 60 million chickens a year and sells products in more than 20 countries. Exports generated half of its profit last year and are helping fund an additional 33 acres of expansion.

Lower prices bring new competition

Price is central to the shift. A Lisbon-based meat trader that began buying Chinese poultry in March said Chinese breast meat and leg quarters were 10% to 20% cheaper than Brazilian products. Wintop’s general manager said its meat could be $1,000 per metric ton cheaper than Brazilian and Thai competitors.

Chinese producers are gaining ground in several established markets. Data from food consultancy Gira showed China’s share of the European Union’s processed-poultry market doubled to 10% since 2022, while its share in the United Kingdom tripled to more than 14%. Reuters also reported Chinese poultry gaining share in Japan as Thailand’s share slipped.

That expansion is drawing closer regulatory attention. The European Commission opened an anti-dumping investigation into Chinese Pekin duck imports in July and imposed duties of 41% to 67% on Chinese pea protein in September. Chicken has not faced the same action, though the commission said it is monitoring the market. The EU also plans stronger origin-labeling rules for poultry products beginning in 2027.

Lower-priced exports may reduce costs for consumers, but producers in Europe, Thailand and Brazil face a new competitor. Chinese suppliers still have to overcome concerns created by past food-safety scandals, and analysts told Reuters that safety, traceability and consistency will determine whether their gains last.