Exports of fresh and frozen pork from Europe started 2017 strongly, following a good performance in 2016.
Volumes exported from the EU-28 in January were up more than 20% compared with the same month last year, at 187,300 tonnes.
The value of exports was up by even more, 34% higher than January 2016 to €447 million for the month, as the high prices seen towards the end of 2016 have continued.
Shipments to China continue to be the main driver of overall EU export growth, bucking the trend of recent months, to grow by nearly 27% compared with January 2016. Exports to Australia and some Asian countries, such as Hong Kong and South Korea, also showed increases. In contrast, the US imported only 6,300 tonnes, nearly 20% less than it had in January 2016, according to AHDB Pork.
EU exports of offal did not show the same gains as fresh and frozen product, although they did record an increase of nearly 14% compared with January last year, chiefly driven by a 25% rise in volumes sent to China.
China and Hong Kong combined imported 92,400 tonnes of EU offal in January, making up over three quarters of Europe’s export market for offal in that month. The total monthly export volume from the EU was 120,900 tonnes.