Another annual record for meat imports in China
The year 2023 ended with a new Chinese import record for beef, which has been repeated for eight years.
It purchased 2.7 million tons, which are equivalent to 3.9 million tons of carcass equivalent if the conversion factor used in Argentina is taken, or 3.6 million if the one applied by the United States is taken. This last data is provided to facilitate comparison with international figures processed by the USDA.
The increase compared to 2022 was only 2% in volume, which is small when contrasted with the average annual growth of the previous seven years, which is an astonishing 34%. It must be taken into account that this rate is cumulative, so in 7 years its imports multiplied by seven.
This record was completed with imports in December of 241 thousand tons shipping weight, slightly higher than those of November and equal to those of 12 months ago.
The participation of the main suppliers was quite stable throughout the year, with the exception of Brazil.
Brazil led, as it has for several years, with an average of 42%, followed by Argentina with 19%. They are followed by Uruguay with 10%, Australia and New Zealand with 8% and the US with 6%.
Therefore, Mercosur represents 72% of China's supply of imported meat.
Brazilian participation was damaged by the month it was absent from the market due to two atypical mad cow cases. In December it again reached the 50% that it was able to show on more than one occasion.
The USDA predicts that in 2024 its imports will have growth again, although also very low this time.
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