During the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, a number of processors lost their ability to export to China.
While some regained their access, several sites were unable to regain their export licences, posing significant challenges for the impacted UK processors and the wider domestic pork industry.
Following lobbying by industry bodies, including the NFU, engagement with Defra and the Department for Business and Trade, as well as high level UK-China bilateral engagements, these restrictions have now been lifted.
The affected sites have had their licences restored and are now able to resume exports to China, with industry estimating that this could boost revenues by around £80 million.
The NFU supports and praises the extensive work undertaken by the UK Government, and particularly the UK’s agri-food attaché in China, to resolve this issue.
The scale of opportunity created by this resolving this market access barrier demonstrates the importance of having dedicated in-market specialists tackling barriers limiting British agri-food exports around the world.
Expanding in a critical market
Resolving these barriers is key to the continued growth of British pork exports to China.
Since 2011, when the UK was granted access to the Chinese pork market, the value of UK pork exports to China has grown significantly to more than £179m annually, over half of which was offal products.
China is now the largest export market for British pork and particularly offal, making up 64% of all non-EU exports.
China is a vital export market, allowing domestic producers to maximise the whole carcass value of their pigs, as the country imports significant volumes of offal and parts of the carcass with little demand in the UK and Europe.
Maintaining and expanding this trade is critical to supporting the carcass balance of British pigs, which has a positive impact on UK farmgate prices.
Opening export markets is vital
In announcing the resolution of the restrictions, government ministers noted the importance of the Chinese market to the British pig sector.
Trade Minister Douglas Alexander said: “China is already a huge market for UK pork businesses, who exported £180 million of products to China last year alone.
“Today’s announcement will be welcome news for British farmers and producers who have been affected by the suspension and could grow British pork exports even further.”
While Minister for Food Security Daniel Zeichner said this is a “massive win for British pork producers who will now be able to send their high-quality products to one of our largest markets”.
“Our pork is world-famous for its quality, and now we can give Chinese customers what they’re hungry for.”
