China is changing its position in the global chicken meat market. From a large producer oriented above all to satisfying domestic demand, the country is becoming an increasingly important competitor for traditional exporters, thanks to a growing production capacity and prices that attract customers on different continents.
This transformation is described in a report published by Reuters who visited Chinese poultry companies and collected testimonies from producers and commercial operators.
According to customs data cited by the agency, in 2025 Chinese exports of chicken products reached a value of 2.6 billion dollars, almost double compared to 2020. In the same year, China became a net exporter of chicken meat, meaning it sold more of the product abroad than it imported.
The phenomenon does not only concern the poultry market. The growth in animal protein exports also involves other sectors, such as the dairy sector, as part of a strategy that aims to strengthen the presence of Chinese companies on international markets.
The advantage of Chinese chicken
One of the most important elements that explains this expansion is the ability to offer products at competitive prices. Reuters cites the case of Wintop Food Group, a Shandong company that processes around 60 million chickens a year and sells breasts, nuggets, meatballs and ravioli in over 20 countries.
According to the company’s general manager, Dang Yangyang, Chinese chicken can cost about $1,000 per ton less than that of Brazilian and Thai competitors. An advantage which, according to the manager, is convincing more and more international customers to purchase from China.
Also an international meat trader interviewed by Reuters reported significant price differences: for some cuts, such as breast and thigh quarters, Chinese products would cost 10% to 20% less than Brazilian ones.
How did we come to produce so much chicken?
Behind the growth in exports is a combination of industrial investment, public support and changes in eating habits. In recent years, Chinese authorities have encouraged the expansion of large livestock producers to strengthen the country’s food security, even after the consequences of the 2018 African swine fever and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Investments have allowed companies to expand plants, increase processing capacity and improve production organisation.
In the meantime, however, the eating habits of the Chinese are also changing. Pork, long a star of the national diet, is losing ground, especially among health-conscious urban consumers. According to data cited by Reutersper capita consumption of pork has fallen by 13% since its peak in 2023, while that of chicken has increased by more than 50% in the decade to 2024. Demand for chicken has therefore grown, but not enough to absorb all production, which has continued to increase in the meantime.
The result is a greater availability of product to be placed abroad. And for Chinese companies, now equipped to process large volumes, exports represent a way to continue growing.
Chinese chicken in Europe
The new competition is also being felt in European markets. According to data from food consultancy Gira, China’s share of the European Union market for processed poultry has doubled to 10% since 2022. In the United Kingdom it tripled, exceeding 14%.
It is important to clarify that these percentages concern processed and processed poultry, not the entire European chicken meat market. They cannot therefore be interpreted as the share of all chicken consumed in the EU that comes from China.
However, the increase in Chinese sales is putting pressure on some competing producers, particularly in Germany, and is also worrying Asian operators. The representative of a Thai poultry exporters association told Reuters that Chinese prices are increasingly used by customers as a reference in commercial negotiations.
The economic advantage, therefore, does not only concern the conquest of new buyers but can also influence the price that importers are willing to pay to traditional suppliers.
Faced with the advance of Chinese products, the European Commission is following the evolution of the market, but has not introduced anti-dumping duties on chicken. As he reports Reuterslaunched an investigation into duck imports from China in July 2026, after accusations from local producers of unfair competition linked to public subsidies. It also imposed tariffs of between 40.5% and 67.1% on Chinese pea protein in September. However, they are distinct procedures, which do not concern chicken meat.
Another issue concerns transparency for those who purchase. According to reports from Reutersthe European Union intends to strengthen the rules on indicating the origin of products, starting with poultry from 2027. The aim is to make the origin of food on the market clearer. However, for some categories of poultry meat the indication of origin is already mandatory, it will therefore be necessary to understand which further requirements will be introduced and which products they will affect.
The issue of food safety also remains. China still carries a problematic reputation in this regard. According to analysts cited by Reuters, for exporters the challenge is to gain the trust of international customers, especially in terms of safety, traceability and consistency of quality.
However, the issue, at least for now, is above all economic: the arrival of products at competitive prices can increase the pressure on European farmers and processors. For consumers, however, greater competition could help keep prices down, even if the savings are not necessarily transferred to the shelves.
