Gira data show Chinese suppliers now hold 10% of the EU processed-poultry market, double their 2022 share. The European Commission says it is monitoring the trade.
China exported 546,000 metric tons of chicken meat in January to May 2026, up 51% from the same months of 2025. The US Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) reported the figure in its July 13 poultry report for China.
Key Facts
- China's chicken exports rose 51% year on year to 546,000 metric tons in January to May 2026.
- Doubled since 2022, China's share of the EU processed-poultry market now stands at 10%.
- China's dairy exports are on track for $600 million in 2026, double the level of three years earlier.
Reuters reported on October 15 that Chinese meat and dairy producers now make more than the country can consume and are selling the excess abroad.
Reuters visited Wintop Food in Shandong province in August. The company processes 60 million chickens a year and sells to more than 20 countries. Exports made up half of its 2025 profits, Reuters reported. General manager Dang Yangyang put Chinese chicken's price advantage at $1,000 per ton against Brazilian and Thai competitors.
China's Chicken Output Outpaces Domestic Demand
FAS forecasts Chinese chicken meat production at 18.0 million metric tons in 2026, up from 16.5 million in 2025. Consumption is forecast at 16.7 million tons. Exports are forecast at 1.5 million tons, up from 1.085 million tons in 2025.
Imports are forecast to fall. The agency expects 200,000 tons in 2026, down from 297,000 tons in 2025. FAS reported that imports from all major suppliers fell in the first quarter of 2026, though Brazil kept its lead and increased its share.
Official Chinese data show poultry meat production rose 9.3% year on year to 7.01 million metric tons in the first quarter of 2026, according to FAS. FAS attributed lower Chinese chicken prices in 2026 mainly to higher domestic supply, with weaker pork prices adding pressure.
Pork consumption per person is down 13% from its 2023 peak, according to official data and state media cited by Reuters. Chicken intake per person grew more than 50% over the ten years to 2024. Officials backed the buildout with subsidies for large corporate producers, Reuters reported.
OECD data cited by Reuters put subsidies at about 13% of gross farm receipts for Chinese agricultural producers in 2022 to 2024, nearly triple the early-2000s level. Wintop told Reuters the local Tengzhou government subsidizes the wage bill for its more than 2,000 workers, without giving specifics.
Chinese Poultry Gains Share in EU and UK Markets
Food consultancy Gira data reported by Reuters put Chinese suppliers at 10% of the EU processed-poultry market, double their 2022 share. Their UK share has tripled to more than 14% over the same period. The growth is challenging producers such as Germany, Reuters reported.
China's share is also edging higher in Japan. Leader Thailand is slipping.
Lisbon-based meat trader Branexx began buying Chinese poultry in March, chairman Ezequiel Pires told Reuters. African customers wanted lower-cost options than Brazilian supply, according to Pires. He put Chinese breast meat and leg quarters 10% to 20% below Brazilian prices.
Thai Broiler Processing Exporters Association manager Kukrit Arepagorn said buyers increasingly cite Chinese prices as a "reference point for negotiation."
Gira meat and livestock director Rupert Claxton noted that some clients still prefer Thai poultry for taste and quality.
The European Commission opened an anti-dumping investigation into Chinese duck imports in July, after European producers alleged that subsidies in China gave rivals an unfair edge. Reuters' October 15 report said the commission imposed anti-dumping duties of 41% to 67% on Chinese pea protein last month.
No comparable action has hit chicken so far, and a commission spokesperson told Reuters that European authorities are tracking the market. The commission also told Reuters that imported food is held to the same health and safety standards as EU-produced food.
The EU plans tighter origin labeling, with poultry products first in 2027.
China's Dairy Exports on Track for $600 Million
Customs data cited by Reuters put Chinese dairy exports on track for $600 million in 2026, double the level of three years earlier. China's dairy output topped its official 2025 target two years ahead of schedule, per Reuters.
Per dairy analyst Yifan Li at commodity broker StoneX, Chinese milk powder now competes with New Zealand and European product in countries including Nigeria and Bangladesh. It is also displacing Indian and Iranian producers in the Middle East, Li added.
Asia's largest dairy company Yili plans to enter the Southeast Asian infant formula market as soon as 2027, per Reuters. Rival Feihe entered Indonesia in April. Its AceKid infant formula is taking on Nestlé and Mead Johnson there, after a Philippines launch a year earlier.
