The overall cost of pork imports for all importing countries inflated by an average 15.1% from five years earlier in 2019 when international purchases of pork cost $32 billion.
Year over year, worldwide spending on imported pork rose 7.6% compared to $34.2 billion in 2022.
The 5 biggest markets for imported pork are Japan, mainland China, Italy, Mexico and Poland. That powerful cohort of buyers bought 41.8% of the value of globally imported pork for 2023.
From a continental perspective, buyers in European countries imported the highest dollar worth of pork during 2023 with purchases valued at $14.2 billion or 41.8% of the world’s total. In second place were importers in Asia at 36.5% while another 14.8% of overall international pork purchases was delivered to North America.
Smaller percentages were bought by customers in Latin America (4.2%) excluding Mexico but including the Caribbean, Oceania (2.1%) led by Australia and New Zealand, and Africa (0.7%).
For research purposes, the 4-digit Harmonized Tariff System code prefix is 0203 for fresh, chilled or frozen swine meat.
Pork Imports by Country
Below are the 15 countries that imported the highest dollar value worth of pork during 2023.
- Japan: US$3.9 billion (10.7% of total imported pork)
- mainland China: $3.5 billion (9.5%)
- Italy: $3.2 billion (8.7%)
- Mexico: $2.7 billion (7.5%)
- Poland: $2 billion (5.5%)
- South Korea: $1.92 billion (5.2%)
- Germany: $1.91 billion (5.2%)
- United States: $1.38 billion (3.7%)
- United Kingdom: $1.2 billion (3.3%)
- Romania: $1.1 billion (3.1%)
- Czech Republic: $1 billion (2.7%)
- France: $996.8 million (2.7%)
- Netherlands: $811 million (2.2%)
- Greece: $709.1 million (1.9%)
- Hong Kong: $646.5 million (1.8%)
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing markets for pork year over year were: Italy (up 38.6% from 2022), United Kingdom (up 33.3%), Romania (up 32.2%) and Greece (up 29.9%).
Those countries that posted declines in their imported pork purchases were: United States of America (down -25.2% from 2022), mainland China (down -9.3%), Japan (down -7.3%) and South Korea (down -5.7%).
By value, the listed 15 countries purchased 73.6% of all pork imported in 2023.
For a comprehensive listing of importers, please see the section Searchable List of Pork Importer Countries below.
Pork Imports into Japan
Japan’s global purchases of imported pork totaled US$3.93 billion in 2023. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Japan imported the highest dollar value worth of pork during 2023. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2022 to 2023.
- United States: US$982.4 million (down -5.3% from 2022)
- Canada: $954 million (down -0.3%)
- Spain: $697 million (down -9.9%)
- Mexico: $544.5 million (down -4.1%)
- Denmark: $243.9 million (down -33.3%)
- Chile: $149.1 million (up 20.1%)
- Brazil: $135.5 million (up 40.3%)
- Netherlands: $107.1 million (down -23.7%)
- France: $78.7 million (up 3.9%)
- Ireland: $26.4 million (down -48%)
- Austria: $5.3 million (down -61.9%)
- Finland: $4.2 million (up 27.2%)
- United Kingdom: $1.9 million (down -51%)
- Portugal: $1.1 million (down -80.2%)
- Australia: $731,000 (down -67.6%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 99.98% of pork imported by Japan in 2023.
Among the above countries, the growth suppliers of pork to Japan since 2023 were: Brazil (up 40.3%), Finland (up 27.2%), Chile (up 20.1%) and France (up 3.9%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their pork supplied to Japanese importers included: Portugal (down -80.2% from 2022), Australia (down -67.6%), Austria (down -61.9%) and United Kingdom (down -51.0%).
Overall, the value of Japan’s imported pork slowed by an average -7.25% from all supplying countries since 2022 when pork purchased cost $4.2 billion.
Pork Imports into China
Mainland China’s global purchases of imported pork totaled US$3.48 billion in 2023. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which China imported the highest dollar value worth of pork during 2023. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2022 to 2023.
- Brazil: US$998.7 million (up 0.4% from 2022)
- Spain: $865.3 million (down -19.1%)
- Denmark: $288.9 million (down -35%)
- Canada: $271.1 million (up 15.8%)
- Netherlands: $267.3 million (up 0.7%)
- United States: $217.9 million (up 2.3%)
- Chile: $162.7 million (up 14.6%)
- France: $152.8 million (down -0.3%)
- United Kingdom: $130.5 million (down -10.7%)
- Ireland: $71.9 million (down -8.6%)
- Austria: $30.2 million (down -8.2%)
- Finland: $10.7 million (down -12.9%)
- Portugal: $6.6 million (down -29.8%)
- Mexico: $5.9 million (down -82.9%)
- Switzerland: $2.4 million (down -18.1%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 99.97% of pork imported by China in 2023.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of pork to China since 2023 were: Canada (up 15.8%), Chile (up 14.6%), United States (up 2.3%) and Netherlands (up 0.7%).
Countries that experienced declines in the value of their pork supplied to Chinese importers included: Mexico (down -82.9% from 2022), Denmark (down -35%), Portugal (down -29.8%) and Spain (down -19.1%).
Overall, the value of China’s imported pork fell by an average -9.3% from all supplying countries since 2022 when pork purchased cost $3.8 billion.
Pork Imports into Italy
Italy’s global purchases of imported pork totaled US$3.19 billion in 2023. Below are the top 15 suppliers from which Italy imported the highest dollar value worth of pork during 2023. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2022 to 2023.
- Germany: US$955.4 million (up 23.9% from 2022)
- Spain: $757.2 million (up 86.5%)
- Netherlands: $557.9 million (up 40.4%)
- Denmark: $321.3 million (up 15.8%)
- France: $243.4 million (up 45.2%)
- Austria: $124.5 million (up 26%)
- Belgium: $121.5 million (up 18.8%)
- Poland: $46.8 million (up 58.8%)
- Hungary: $46.6 million (up 11.6%)
- Croatia: $4.4 million (up 230.8%)
- Slovenia: $3.61 million (up 26.2%)
- Chile: $3.57 million (up 296.3%)
- Switzerland: $2.1 million (up 71.7%)
- Ireland: $1.3 million (up 93.2%)
- Sweden: $1.2 million (up 412.2%)
By value, the listed 15 countries shipped 99.92% of pork imported by Italy in 2023.
Among the above countries, the fastest-growing suppliers of pork to Italy since 2023 were: Sweden (up 412.2%), Chile (up 296.3%), Croatia (up 230.8%) and Ireland (up 93.2%).
Overall, the value of Italy’s imported pork accelerated by an average 38.6% from all supplying countries since 2022 when pork purchased cost $2.3 billion.
Pork Imports into Mexico
Mexico’s global purchases of imported pork totaled US$2.75 billion in 2023. Below are the top suppliers from which Mexico imported the highest dollar value worth of pork during 2023. Within parenthesis is the percentage change in value for each supplying country from 2022 to 2023.
- United States: US$2.3 billion (up 4.7% from 2022)
- Canada: $353.3 million (down -9.4%)
- Brazil: $66.1 million (2022 data unavailable)
- Spain: $779,000 (down -94%)
By value, the listed countries shipped 100% of pork imported by Mexico in 2023.
Overall, the value of Mexico’s imported pork accelerated by an average 33.8% from all supplying countries since 2022 when pork purchased cost $2 billion.
Searchable List of Pork Importer Countries in 2023
By value, the top 100 importers of imported pork in the following database were responsible for 99.7% of overall international spending on the commodity in 2023.
| Rank | Importer | Pork Imports | 2022-3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Japan | $3,932,638,000 | -7.3% |
| 2. | mainland China | $3,483,837,000 | -9.3% |
| 3. | Italy | $3,193,126,000 | +38.6% |
| 4. | Mexico | $2,747,912,000 | +4.6% |
| 5. | Poland | $2,008,709,000 | +19.8% |
| 6. | South Korea | $1,917,802,000 | -5.7% |
| 7. | Germany | $1,907,834,000 | +22.5% |
| 8. | United States | $1,376,009,000 | -25.2% |
| 9. | United Kingdom | $1,200,166,000 | +33.3% |
| 10. | Romania | $1,149,807,000 | +32.2% |
| 11. | Czech Republic | $1,004,002,000 | +26.7% |
| 12. | France | $996,805,000 | +24.8% |
| 13. | Netherlands | $810,980,000 | +7.3% |
| 14. | Greece | $709,138,000 | +29.9% |
| 15. | Hong Kong | $646,508,000 | +4.8% |
| 16. | Canada | $565,816,000 | +0.9% |
| 17. | Australia | $485,040,000 | -7.2% |
| 18. | Austria | $483,164,000 | +41.7% |
| 19. | Philippines | $481,298,000 | -23.5% |
| 20. | Slovakia | $480,658,000 | +20.9% |
| 21. | Hungary | $456,537,000 | +24.7% |
| 22. | Bulgaria | $404,878,000 | +37.1% |
| 23. | Portugal | $381,715,000 | +11.8% |
| 24. | Croatia | $353,970,000 | +35% |
| 25. | Singapore | $347,785,000 | +27% |
| 26. | Colombia | $345,033,000 | +9.3% |
| 27. | Taiwan | $328,686,000 | +24.6% |
| 28. | Belgium | $295,821,000 | +27.2% |
| 29. | Spain | $285,573,000 | +15.9% |
| 30. | Dominican Republic | $281,807,000 | +12.9% |
| 31. | Chile | $274,299,000 | +14.6% |
| 32. | Lithuania | $231,951,000 | +29.9% |
| 33. | Sweden | $214,619,000 | +6.8% |
| 34. | Malaysia | $196,743,000 | +100.5% |
| 35. | Denmark | $193,400,000 | +12.1% |
| 36. | Vietnam | $176,939,000 | -30.9% |
| 37. | Slovenia | $162,059,000 | +38.2% |
| 38. | New Zealand | $161,963,000 | +8.6% |
| 39. | Serbia | $160,029,000 | +38.1% |
| 40. | Ireland | $139,614,000 | -1.3% |
| 41. | Honduras | $129,322,000 | 0% |
| 42. | Uruguay | $125,005,000 | +19.7% |
| 43. | Montenegro | $92,084,000 | +45.6% |
| 44. | Estonia | $86,165,000 | +43.4% |
| 45. | Guatemala | $75,949,000 | +25.8% |
| 46. | Bosnia/Herzegovina | $73,561,000 | +40.6% |
| 47. | Macao | $70,379,000 | +41.9% |
| 48. | Finland | $58,925,000 | +10% |
| 49. | Costa Rica | $57,723,000 | +32.1% |
| 50. | Georgia | $55,295,000 | +56.6% |
| 51. | United Arab Emirates | $48,440,000 | +8.9% |
| 52. | Angola | $45,156,000 | -40.6% |
| 53. | South Africa | $44,962,000 | -13% |
| 54. | El Salvador | $43,988,000 | +18% |
| 55. | North Macedonia | $43,833,000 | +63.7% |
| 56. | Congo | $42,370,000 | +12.6% |
| 57. | Cuba | $42,337,000 | -19.5% |
| 58. | Nicaragua | $40,958,000 | +37.8% |
| 59. | Argentina | $40,750,000 | -56.1% |
| 60. | Peru | $36,562,000 | +88.5% |
| 61. | Cyprus | $34,458,000 | +50.5% |
| 62. | Ukraine | $32,136,000 | -66.7% |
| 63. | Moldova | $25,595,000 | -10.9% |
| 64. | Armenia | $24,704,000 | +5.9% |
| 65. | Mongolia | $24,581,000 | +17.8% |
| 66. | Luxembourg | $24,496,000 | +12% |
| 67. | Albania | $23,194,000 | +2405% |
| 68. | Gabon | $22,921,000 | +38.7% |
| 69. | Panama | $20,636,000 | +5.8% |
| 70. | Trinidad/Tobago | $17,610,000 | +6.2% |
| 71. | Bahamas | $15,649,000 | +18.3% |
| 72. | Indonesia | $14,882,000 | -6% |
| 73. | Kazakhstan | $14,850,000 | -23.9% |
| 74. | Malta | $13,917,000 | +35.4% |
| 75. | Papua New Guinea | $13,606,000 | +20.8% |
| 76. | Democratic Rep. Congo | $13,568,000 | +0.6% |
| 77. | Curaçao | $11,248,000 | -7.6% |
| 78. | Switzerland | $9,149,000 | -29.3% |
| 79. | Barbados | $7,833,000 | +8.8% |
| 80. | Aruba | $7,337,000 | +0.5% |
| 81. | Andorra | $7,317,000 | +28.8% |
| 82. | Iceland | $7,193,000 | +9.4% |
| 83. | Mozambique | $6,581,000 | +13.3% |
| 84. | Namibia | $6,119,000 | +3.4% |
| 85. | Greenland | $5,853,000 | -8.2% |
| 86. | Haiti | $5,749,000 | +12.1% |
| 87. | Kenya | $5,722,000 | +93.5% |
| 88. | Equatorial Guinea | $5,485,000 | +17.7% |
| 89. | Jamaica | $4,964,000 | -10.8% |
| 90. | Brunei Darussalam | $4,776,000 | -5% |
| 91. | Cabo Verde | $4,666,000 | +29.6% |
| 92. | Russia | $4,523,000 | -84.6% |
| 93. | Mauritius | $4,497,000 | -7.5% |
| 94. | Maldives | $3,718,000 | +0.6% |
| 95. | Türkiye | $3,671,000 | +10.3% |
| 96. | Lesotho | $3,429,000 | -14.4% |
| 97. | Timor-Leste | $3,377,000 | +31.2% |
| 98. | Bahrain | $3,240,000 | -8.1% |
| 99. | Lebanon | $3,158,000 | -0.6% |
| 100. | Cayman Islands | $2,956,000 | +12.8% |
Focusing on the 100 top buyers of imported pork, the fastest growers were Albania (up 2,405% from 2022), Malaysia (up 100.5%), Kenya (up 93.5%), Peru (up 88.5%) and North Macedonia (up 63.7%).
You can change the presentation order in the above table by clicking the triangle icon at the top of the columns.
An entry of 0% in the right-most column means no 2022 data was available.
See also Pork Exports by Country, China’s Top Trading Partners, Japan’s Top Trading Partners, Italy’s Top Trading Partners and Germany’s Top Trading Partners
Research Sources:
Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook Field Listing: Imports – Commodities. Accessed on August 3, 2024
International Trade Centre, Trade Map. Accessed on August 3, 2024
Investopedia, Net Exports Definition. Accessed on August 3, 2024