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France: pork trade surplus increases

In 2019, the trade surplus for livestock products was EUR 600 million, an increase of EUR 103 million, after several years of decline.

The trade deficit for meat, meat products, and by-products (offal, skins, etc.) reached 1.2 billion euros, a decrease of 39 million euros due to the improved trade surplus for pork. This has allowed compensation for the poor performance of the beef and poultry sectors with decreases of EUR 74 million and EUR 37 million respectively, compared to 2018.

The pork trade surplus increased, driven by a significantly higher increase in exports than imports (+ EUR 252 million and + EUR 36 million respectively). Export prices increased (+ 20%) as did volumes (+ 11%). The African swine fever epidemic that affected almost all of Asia, especially China, has led to a reduction in the Chinese pig herd and a sharp increase in the demand for pork. The quantities of fresh or frozen meat exported to China doubled in 2019. As for the increase in imports, it was driven by prices (+ 15%) while volumes fell (- 9%). Spain remained the main supplier to the French market for fresh and frozen meats, ahead of Germany.