EU Pig Meat Export, Import Volumes Fall
EU - The latest figures for the first nine months of this year show a slight decline in pig meat exports from the EU of two per cent in volume, while imports were down by seven per cent, while the values of both totals have increased.The latest EU pig meat trade figures from Comext were presented at the 'Single CMO' Management Committee meeting last week.
Total exports for the first three quarters of this year were 2,326,699 tonnes (two per cent lower than the same period in 2011) while imports were 26,488 tonnes - down seven per cent from last year.
By far the biggest exporter of 'selected pig products' to the EU was Switzerland, which accounted for 14,237 tonnes or 54 per cent of the total volume, six per cent more than last year. Chile exported 5,241 tonnes (20 per cent of the total), which was nine per cent than for the same period of 2011. Other countries exporting to the EU were Serbia (1,810 tonnes, 7 per cent), US (917 tonnes, 3%) Croatia (752 tonnes, 3 per cent), Canada (47 tonnes) and Other countries (3,484 tonnes).
While imports of pig products into the EU have followed a downward trend since early 2008, the value of those products for the first nine months of the year increased from €46.531 million in 2011 to €47.949 million this year.
For exports, the Comext figures show that for the period January to September 2012, Russia was the top destination for EU pig met products with a volume of 579,528 tonnes, which was a 24.9 per cent share of the total but nine per cent below the corresponding period last year. China took 413,643 tonnes, which was 17.8 per cent of the total and 54 per cent more than in 2011. Other destinations were:
Hong Kong (280,366 tonnes; 12.0 per cent; -31 per cent), Japan (172,049 tonnes; 7.4 per cent -1 per cent); South Korea (107,491 tonnes; 4.6 per cent; -30 per cent), Ukraine (124,270 tonnes; 5.3 per cent: +53 per cent), Belarus (93,089 tonnes; 4.0 per cent; + 18 per cent),
Philippines (55,279 tonnes; 2.4 per cent; -25 per cent), Croatia (55,140 tonnes; 2.4 per cent; +8 per cent), US (46,054 tonnes; 2.0 per cent; +1 per cent), Angola (41,397 tonnes; 1.8 per cent; -8 per cent), Australia (33,039 tonnes; 1.4 per cent; -4 per cent), other countries (325,354 tonnes; 14.0 per cent).
In terms of value, exports for the first nine months of 2010, 2011 and 2012 have been rising steadily at €3.081 billion, €4.050 billion and €4.587 billion, respectively.