China July pork imports hit record 430,000 tonnes
Aug 24 (Reuters) – China’s July pork imports more than doubled to 430,000 tonnes from a year earlier and hit a record monthly volume, customs data showed, despite tough new checks on cargoes that had slowed clearing at ports.
Chinese importers have been bringing in huge volumes of meat this year to fill a large domestic supply shortage after an epidemic of African swine fever killed millions of pigs.
However the data, released late on Sunday, came as a surprise after many overseas processing plants were forced to halt or slow production in the prior months due to coronavirus infections among workers.
The data does not reveal the origins of the shipments but a meat industry source, who declined to be identified, said June exports to China from major suppliers including the United States, Brazil, European Union and Canada had all declined compared to the prior month.
The July import number surpassed June’s 400,000 tonnes, which had been the highest ever.
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