Until a few years ago, exports of meat from China to European or American markets - even to Asian countries - stumbled to a significant extent due to the justified concern of traders and consumers in these countries about the safety and quality levels of carcasses or meat derivatives from Chinese breeding and packaging units.
The same concerns were largely shared by the Chinese Government, which in the last 5-6 years has promoted a campaign to strengthen food security and quality in meat production. On the one hand, these actions have upgraded the levels of quality and health protection of meat consumers in China, but at the same time, through the use of new technology, they have led to a surge in production, especially in poultry, and has created a surplus of meat and dairy products. Normally, the next move of the Chinese government and major producers was to look for overseas markets. And, with the main weapon being the lower price they can offer compared to other exporters, they found a great response in markets in the European Union, Asia, and even Africa and North America.
Impressive increase
The results have been and remain impressive and the trends are upward in terms of the potential for Chinese chicken and duck to expand in foreign markets.
According to data from the European Commission and the USDA (US Department of Agriculture), poultry meat exports from China to foreign markets almost doubled (96% increase) from 2023 to 2025, with an even better performance in 2026. A smaller increase (30%) was also recorded in pork exports.
In fact, duck exports (either whole carcasses or selected-packaged or even baked pieces) had an even greater increase in exports, reaching a rate of almost 300% between 2023 and 2025. Chinese duck meat, as it is sold cheaper than meat from producers in other countries, is now competing with French production and its exports to other countries for the production of the famous foie gras.
The increase in Chinese poultry meat exports to EU countries has been around 30% in the last three years. In contrast to exports to Asian or American markets, in the EU a large part of poultry imports from China concern baked-packaged meat products or related derivatives and not fresh carcasses.
The same applies for the time being in the USA, where the import of baked Chinese poultry products is allowed.
Imports from Cyprus
The largest importers of poultry meat from China - and in fact with a serious trend of increasing quantities - are Japan, Hong Kong, Russia, the United Kingdom, the EU, Cambodia, Malaysia, North Korea, etc.
In fact, according to data from the World Bank, Cyprus also appears in the list of importers of Chinese poultry (probably pre-prepared segments), with about 800 tons (worth 3 billion dollars) in 2025.
The increased flow of Chinese meat to European markets led the European Commission in July 2026 to launch an anti-dumping investigation into duck imports after European producers alleged that Chinese state subsidies created unfair competition. No decisions have been taken so far by the Commission regarding the specific complaints. However, in September '26, the Commission imposed anti-dumping duties of between 41% and 67% on pea protein imported from China and tariffs of 31-54% on Chinese corn imports.
Net Exporter
Reuters recently published an extensive report on Chinese penetration of the international meat market, mainly poultry, and visited, among other units, Wintop's factory, which processes 60 million chickens a year, selling breasts, chicken nuggets, meatballs and pasta in more than 20 countries. Exports accounted for half of the company's profits in 2025.
"Customers abroad usually did not trust the quality of our products," the company's director told the agency. "But when Chinese meat is $1,000 cheaper per ton than competitors in Brazil and Thailand, they have to either buy from China or lose money."
China, which is already the world's largest exporter of seafood, last year became a net exporter of chicken. In total, China exported $2.6 billion worth of chicken products in 2025, nearly double 2020 levels. In addition, dairy exports are expected to reach $600 million this year, having doubled since 2023.
For consumers around the world, increased imports of Chinese chicken and duck meat (and goose, to a lesser extent) from China means cheaper meat. For foreign poultry producers, however, from Europe to Thailand and Brazil, it means the emergence of a new very dynamic competitor.
Ezekiel Pires, president of the international meat trading company Branexx, based in Lisbon, told Reuters that his company began buying Chinese poultry in March '26 after African customers sought cheaper alternatives to imports from Brazil. Chinese chicken breasts and thighs are 10 percent to 20 percent cheaper than Brazilian products, Pires said.
China has not fully overcome some of the negative correlations resulting from past food safety scandals, analysts say. For Chinese exporters, the challenge is to build "lasting confidence in the safety, traceability and consistency of their products," said Gordon Butland, director of Bangkok-based G&S Agriconsultants.
