Compared with the same month of 2024, significantly more fresh and processed pig meat was exported from Brazil in April to the Philippines, Mexico, and Argentina.
This is according to figures released recently by the Brazilian Association of Animal Protein, ABPA.
Total national exports of these products last month amounted to 129,200 metric tons (mt) — 14.6% more than in April of 2024.
Top three destinations for these shipments were the Philippines (29,800mt), China (15,100mt), and Hong Kong (12,200mt). The volume to the Philippines was 78% higher than in the same period last year, and Hong Kong shipments were 34% higher, while China’s volume contracted by 30%.
Other key markets in Asia for Brazilian pork were Japan — where sales were slightly higher than last year at 7,200mt — and Singapore. For the latter island state, the volume was down close to 18% at 6,700mt for the month.
Brazil increased significantly the volumes of pig meat products traded to other countries in the Americas. These included Chile (9,100mt), Mexico (7,300mt), Argentina (5,900mt), and the United States (4,700mt). For these markets, year-on-year increases were reported to be 25%, 122%, 630%, and 44%, respectively.
Commenting on these latest results, ABPA president Ricardo Santin highlighted the successful expansion in trade to strategic markets in Asia and Latin America.
“In addition to the increase in volume, the sector has seen a significant increase in revenue, reflecting the quality of Brazilian products, and the international recognition of our health status,” he said.
At US$301.5 million, the foreign exchange revenue derived by Brazil from pig product exports in April was close to 25% higher than in the same month of last year.
Of this total, US$66.2 million was derived from the trade with the Philippines — an increase of more than 90% from 12 months previously. Strong volume growth in shipments to Mexico and Argentina drove up the revenue from those countries, generating year-on-year increases of 110% and more than 690%, respectively.
Brazil’s most important state for pig meat exports in April was Santa Catarina, which produced 66,300mt of the traded volume in that month. Rio Grande do Sul supplied a further 27,900mt, and Paraná, 21,500mt.
Trade prospects for the coming months
To date in 2025, Brazil exported 466,000mt of fresh and processed pork, generating revenue of US$1.09 billion. These figures represent year-on-year increases of 16% and 30%, respectively.
ABPA forecasts that these positive developments will continue in the coming months. Driving these trends, it says, are the opening up of new markets, more predictability in logistics, and continued negotiations with destinations in North America and Southeast Asia over biosecurity and sustainability issues.
Developments in Brazil’s animal health status, trade impacts
Just last month, Mercopress reported that the authorities in Chile have recognized the Brazilian state of Paraná as free of Foot and Mouth Disease without vaccination. This opens the possibility of pig meat imports to Chile from this state. Negotiations between the countries were said to be ongoing to open up more regions of Brazil as sources of meat to be exported to Chile.
In recent days, Brazil’s animal health agency has officially declared the Classical swine fever (CSF) situation “resolved.”
According to previous notifications to the World Organisation for Animal Health, 13 outbreaks of CSF occurred in the northeastern state of Piauí between March and October of last year. This state is not part of Brazil’s CSF-free zone, and all the outbreaks were in backyard pig herds involved only in local trade.
