Meat and poultry products are listed as some of the main targets for Chinese importers within the next few years.  In 2018, and to meet domestic demand,  China imported nearly two million tons of pork, 1.7 million tons of beef, 0.8 million tons of poultry and 0.4 million tons of lamb, reaching an estimated US $4.2 billion worth of imports. During this time China also produced nearly 76.5 million metric tons of meat, over half of it being pork. 

Traditionally not having a strong red meat culture, beef, goat and lamb meat sales account for only nearly 15% of total meat sales in China. By contrast, pork accounts for about two-thirds of China’s total meat consumption. Imports of meat and poultry to China are among the most popular imported food products in China, with pork accounting for more than 64% of the country’s intake, followed by poultry (23%), meat beef (8%) and lamb (5%). At the same time, consumer preferences are changing rapidly, with many buyers “switching” to higher-priced red meat as a source of protein. Chinese high end consumers perceive red meat as having a higher status than poultry and pork, with strong preferences for grain-fed beef.