Japan's pork imports surge 6.2% year on year in 2024

Japan's pork imports saw a notable year-on-year jump of 6.2% from 2023 to 2024, reaching a total of 976,443 mt according to the latest data from the Agriculture & Livestock Industries Corporation.

Frozen pork inflows grew significantly, rising from 526,291 mt in 2023 to 591,537 mt in 2024, a jump of 12.4%.This growth was driven by both frozen boneless cuts and frozen bone-in cuts, which saw increases of 12.5% and 7.1%, respectively.

On the other hand, chilled pork imports dropped slightly, from 393,415 mt in 2023 to 384,906 mt in 2024, reflecting a 2.2% decline.

This decline was seen across both cuts, with chilled boneless cuts decreasing by 2.1% in 2024, from 392,667 mt in 2023. Similarly, chilled bone-in cuts dropped in 16%, from 748 mt in 2023.

In 2024, Spain was the largest supplier of pork to Japan, with inflows reaching 175,282 mt. This marks a significant increase compared with the 164,040 mt exported in 2023, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 6.9%.

The USA, Japan's second-largest supplier, experienced strong growth in the same period, with imports rising to 77,039 mt in 2024, a 40.2% increase compared with 54,910 mt in 2023.

Brazil is one of the key exporters of pork to Japan. In 2024, Brazil saw a significant increase in exports, with the monthly exports starting at 3,499 mt in January and rising to 7,744 mt by December, more than doubling over the course of the year.

Platts, part of S&P Global Commodity Insights, assessed the price of pork belly CFR North Asia at $5,303/mt on Feb. 21.