One of the main changes has been the decline in China’s share of global pork and offal imports — from 43% in 2021 to 23% in 2025. This is linked to the recovery of domestic production following African swine fever (ASF) and slower growth in consumption.
At the same time, Mexico has become the world’s largest pork importer when offal is excluded. Southeast Asian markets, particularly the Philippines and Vietnam, are also gaining importance, with imports supported by animal health challenges and limited domestic production capacity.
Competition Among Exporters Is Intensifying
The European Union remains the world’s leading pork exporter for now, but the gap with the United States is narrowing. Rabobank notes that stricter environmental and animal health and welfare requirements, together with higher production costs in the EU, could strengthen the position of the United States.
Brazil has already become the world’s third-largest pork exporter, overtaking Canada. Following the decline in Chinese demand, the country actively diversified its shipments. In particular, the Philippines became its leading export market, with shipments there increasing by more than 30% in 2025.
Regionalisation Is Becoming More Important
Rabobank also highlights the growing use of the regionalisation principle, under which imports can continue from disease-free zones even when outbreaks occur in other parts of a country. Examples include agreements between China and Spain, Japan and France, and the Philippines and Poland.
ASF nevertheless remains one of the main risks to the global market. Its impact on trade in China has declined, but the disease continues to affect production and imports in the Philippines and Vietnam and remains a challenge for Europe.
Additional instability comes from tariffs, veterinary restrictions, logistics disruptions and geopolitical tensions.
According to Rabobank, under these new conditions, competitiveness will increasingly depend less on reliance on a single large market. Key factors will include diversification of export destinations, cost control, product differentiation, and the ability to secure and maintain veterinary access to markets.
PigUA.info, based on materials from euromeatnews.com