China June Pork Imports Surge as Deadly Pig Disease Continues to Spread

A staff member lifts a pork slice with tongs at a supermarket in Handan, Hebei Province, China, on June 12, 2019. Reuters

BEIJING—China’s pork imports in June surged from the previous year, customs data showed on July 23, as the world’s top consumer of the meat stocked up on supplies after African swine fever decimated domestic pig herds.

China brought in 160,467 tonnes (176,885 tons) of pork in June, up 62.8 percent from the same month in 2018, according to data from the General Administration of Customs. This was down 14 percent from 187,459 tonnes imported in May.